Part Two: A Tale of Two Patients: How Covid-19 Has Unmasked the Inequalities Experienced by African American Women
Professor Cheryl T. Page
Query: How has COVID-19 hurt African American women with respect to discrimination in health care in America?
Short Answer: COVID-19 has exacerbated health care disparities for African American women by exposing the conditions and gaps that existed previously. Some of these are a general distrust of medical professionals given past exploitation and racist practices. Many African American females have lower and lesser access to quality health care, which worsens many health outcomes. Many of these women live in food deserts, which cause a poor diet and increased stress levels. And they live in multi-generational homes that are more likely to be crowded and where social distancing is not feasible. Perhaps the largest factor that leads to the disproportionate deaths of African Americans is the fact that many are "essential workers," on the front line of this pandemic, with little to no personal protective equipment. This essay will focus on these and other factors that cause African American women to be in a position to die in greater numbers than they represent in this country.
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As we have seen all too clearly, COVID-19 has shown itself to not be an equalizer but a magnifier. It has worked to expose all of the inequities that have been plaguing African Americans for decades and laid bare all that is unjust in America. Thankfully, the CDC has made it clear that "[r]educing racialdisparities in healthcare requires national leadership to engage a diverse array of stakeholders; facilitate coordination and alignment among federal departments, agencies, offices, and nonfederal partners; champion the implementation of effective policies and programs; and ensure accountability." The studies and findings above can help motivate increased efforts to intervene at the state, tribal, and local levels to best address health disparities and inequalities.
As we strive to better understand current racialdisparities in health care, we become more aware of the racism that has operated and continues to operate today. By attempting to attack prejudice, stereotypes, and negative stigmas of minority groups, we can help to establish trust within the medical community and the profession as a whole.
As a civilized society, we must recognize the need and benefit of living in a society where all citizens have access to fair, equal and equitable, quality health care. We must work to ensure that the most vulnerable and marginalized in our society are taken care of medically. So that when those two racially different people enter the emergency room with COVID-19, we as a country should be able to recognize that both deserve the same level of treatment, regardless of racial status, ethnicity, or education level. How we treat certain segments of our national community is indicative of our moral character as a country.
