Racial Health

 "Too little. Too late." 

How the Bad Blood Started, New York Times podcast from October 18th, leads quickly into the narrator's reminiscing of her uncle's unhealthy status due to lack of Healthcare insurance or ability to afford treatments. It is a sad story of the government helping only after he has exhausted his financial and physical resources & is too ill to be helped, "Received a death sentence for the government to help and give him health insurance." 

Blacks/ Afro-Americans have been seen as inferior in the USA for centuries. Given leftover food, leftover soil/land, second-hand or not wanted "Emancipation came & someone would come to the plantation and announce/yell, "You are Free!" But "Freedom" for the Black and colored communities has not ever equated the same "freedom" whites have attained and maintained in this country. They were set "free" without anything or place they could call their own. "No medical facilities to speak of, let alone any facilities catered to or considerate of Blacks. Less to eat. Lack of shelters. More exposure to diseases led to high number of freed Blacks to die.

I'm not shocked that Uncle suffered awful bouts of Cancer without good treatment. As narrated in the podcast, Blacks were believed to be inferior and offering them basic care would be a "waste of time, because it was only prolonging the inevitable. What was meant to be." (14:10).

There are constant reminders or occurrences of the lack of equality in minority communities. Every struggle presented to the first enslaved off the ship have not been clearly evaporated for the 10 generations of Afro-American citizens still suffering from those effects, after Emancipation, after Civil Rights, after Equal Opportunity. Changes are plenty but not enough. Investments in Black communities have been made. Many people (Whites) care to lift those of color and show them that they are respected as "not inferior." 

"National Health program," put in place by President Truman didn't account for the Blacks or lack of facilities for Blacks.

 I live and visit families in hoods which are dominantly Black or Hispanics. There is only one white neighbor on the short block I live, and he has a Black roommate.  The health issue was pronounced during the Covid pandemic. But, according to statistics, the disease was color-blind and Healthcare systems were receptive to all. Which counters the belief that Blacks lack health insurance or that care is easily available to them. Why was not the case during the small pox or AIDs epidemics?

Distribution of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. as of June 14, 2023, by race/ethnicity

Published by 

John Elflein,

 Jun 21, 2023

 As of June 14, 2023, around 66 percent of all COVID-19 deaths in the United States have been among non-Hispanic whites, although non-Hispanic whites account for 60 percent of the total U.S. population. On the other hand, non-Hispanic Asians have accounted for just three percent of all deaths due to COVID-19 even though this group makes up almost six percent of the entire U.S. population. This statistic shows the distribution of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) deaths in the United States, by race/ethnicity.

This was a time that proved that it's easy to care for ALL the same, with the government's support despite the 

AMA's dismissive perspective against universal healthcare. It showed that "Healthcare is a human right" and that it's the

 "Duty of a free and democratic society."

Seems I'm just rambling. That's because I've been affected by the racial injustice in this country.

 I have lost relatives because they could not afford health insurance, not gotten better

after the family empties pockets for a few pills, antibiotics and ointments.

I've also known of relatives used as Guinea Pigs in Puerto Rico with the promise to reduce pregnancies

and during military service, as they were segregated to be given Heroin as they tested to prevent

PTSD.

I digress.

Sad to listen to the podcast report the injustice and inhumane stance but not at all surprised.

assignments

I'm glad to hear the podcast on the health disparities. But we'll only see it be even and equal for all

races when there are no questions about what race one is to respond to on forms we complete, checking

Black and Hispanic boxes till then.