Unequal Health : Anti-Black Racism and the Threat to America's Health

Unequal Health provides a comprehensive and broadly accessible overview of persistent and substantial racial health disparities in American. Using research, first-person narratives, and historical events, this volume documents the scope of the problem, its roots in anti-Black racism, and consequences for the health and healthcare of all Americans.

Racial disparities in health and life expectancy are public health problems that have existed since before the US became a country and affect all American's lives. On average, Black Americans have poorer overall health than White Americans and receive lower quality healthcare. This volume presents research from a broad range of academic disciplines, personal narratives, and historical sources to explain the origins of anti-Black racism and describe specific ways in which it threatens both Black Americans' health and the quality of their medical care. Using their own research and public policy expertise, the authors analyze the critical roles of individual and systemic racial bias in these racial health disparities and their consequence for all Americans. They also identify current viable interventions that can reduce current racial health disparities. Unequal Health is invaluable to professionals who study health disparities and lay people who are concerned about them.