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

Research, first-person narratives, and historical sources explain how racial bias creates significant public health problems in America.

Louis A. Penner (Author), John F. Dovidio (Author), Nao Hagiwara (Author), Brian D. Smedley (Author)

9781316519486, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 30 September 2023

250 pages
28 x 19 x 2.1 cm, 0.599 kg

'Unequal Health succinctly synthesizes the root causes of health inequalities, backed by decades of health and healthcare evidence, practice, and the voices of racially and ethnically minoritized groups. This timely and well-written text does a phenomenal job of chronicling how we got here, where 'here' is, and where we are going concerning the role of anti-black racism in health and healthcare inequalities. After reading the first chapter, I knew this book would be one of the BEST evidence-based texts chronicling health inequities in our field. I found something interesting and insightful with the turn of each page.' Daphne C. Watkins, University of Michigan, USA

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.

Introduction: An American dilemma: Racial disparities in health—past and present
1. The Past is Prologue: the roots of anti-black racism
2. A threat to the common good: racism and the health of black Americans
3. Two Americas: the effects of racial residential segregation on the health of black Americans
4. Racism in American medicine: do no harm to some
do great harm to others
5. Not part of the solution: systemic racism in contemporary healthcare
6. A dangerous foot in the door: the impact of race-related thoughts and feelings on healthcare disparities
7. Paths to a solution: ensuring a basic human right.

Subject Areas: Clinical psychology [MMJ]