'My life is at risk. Not just because I’m 73 with the usual annoying aches and pains that accompany age, but because I’m tall and I’m Black.' kaj33 discusses how health care is failing Black people and ways we can do better. Juneteenth21
Our lives are at risk. The health care system—and everyday individuals—have to do a better job to protect us.My life is at risk. Not just because I’m 73 with the usual annoying aches and pains that accompany age, but because I’m tall and I’m Black. At 7 feet, 2 inches, I’m statistically more prone to blood clots, lower back and hip problems, higher risk of cancer, especially prostate cancer, atrial fibrillation , and a shorter life span in general.
There are a lot of groups addressing these rusty fissures, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People , the American Civil Liberties Union , National Urban League, Southern Christian Leadership Conference , and others. People who may not be familiar with the wonderful work of those organizations at least know about , which is less a traditional organization and more a movement of loosely affiliated activists across the country united by the credo that is their name.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted just how malignant the system is. The virus has hit the African American community at a much higher and more devastating rate than it has the white community. At the same time, they receive a lower standard of care. The death rate for Blacks is 3.6 times higher than for whites.
To counter this, Black job applicants have taken to “whitening” their names and omitting ethnic information in order to get job interviews. Sadly, this has been effective. In a study published by Harvard Business School, 25% of Blacks using a whitened name on an application received a callback, compared to 10% who didn’t.
It’s hard to feel valuable to a society that doesn’t value your health or life. And yet, one of the reasons Blacks are contracting and dying from COVID-19 at higher rates is because they work at what the government has defined as essential jobs more than any other ethnic group: 37.7% Black versus 26.9% white. In health care and social assistance industries, the rate is even higher. So, they’re both essential, yet disposable, like protective gloves.
It’s also why I’m so proud of my son Amir, who chose to become a surgeon in an effort to help the Black community. He knew that
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Proud Boys Leader Enrique Tarrio Reportedly Selling Black Lives Matter T-Shirts To Get ByThe Proud Boys leader is also peddling 'Impeach 45' garb, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Read more »
After Black Lives Matter Protests, Britain’s Colonial-Era Statues Stay PutWhile in the U.S., dozens of monuments were pulled down in the wake of George Floyd’s killing, in Britain the fate of symbols of the country’s historic links to the slave trade has so far proved less dramatic.
Read more »
Rita Moreno apologizes for 'In the Heights' remarks 'dismissive of black lives''You CAN teach this old dog new tricks,' Rita Moreno wrote while walking back her comments on the colorism controversy surrounding 'In the Heights.'
Read more »
'Black girl magic at its\u00a0finest': Juneteenth pageants let women, girls be unapologetically BlackFor decades, beauty pageants have been criticized for objectifying women and for their lack of diversity, but organizers and contestants insist Juneteenth pageants are different.
Read more »
Black Feminist In Public: Jessica Marie Johnson on Slavery Studies and Black Sexual HistoriesThis week leads into the weekend celebration of Juneteenth, honoring the emancipation in 1865 of those who were enslaved in this country. The Black Feminist in Public series will highlight three scholars of slavery studies and Black women’s histories. First up: Jessica Marie Johnson, associate professor of history at John Hopkins University and author of Wicked Flesh: Black Women, Intimacy, and Freedom in the Atlantic World.
Read more »