EDUCator’s Note: A recent NPR story (May 18, 2021) highlights expert insights into the negative health effects of discriminatory stress on Black men regardless of income. entry or level of education. Our own RWJF trustee, Dr David Williams, was featured in the NPR story.
Dr. Williams shared a similarly powerful message in a Health Culture Blog post originally published in October 2017 that we are sharing again. In this post, he highlights the need for all of us to work together to make America a healthier place for all.
Forty-one years after graduating from Yale University, Clyde Murphy – a famous civil rights lawyer – died of a blood clot in his lung. Soon, his African-American school friends Ron Norwood and Jeff Palmer were each battling cancer.
In fact, more than 10 percent of African-Americans in the 1970 Yale class died – a mortality rate more than three times higher than that of their white classmates.
It’s great.
But it’s true: African-Americans live sicker and die earlier than whites in America. Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States, and middle-aged black men and women have twice the death rate than whites. Elevated mortality rates are also evident for cancer, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease, maternal mortality — the list goes on. In fact, every 7 minutes a black person dies prematurely. That’s more than 200 black people a day who wouldn’t die if the health of blacks and whites were comparable.
And, as the Yale example shows, even higher levels of education – can lead to higher incomes and the ability to live in healthier neighborhoods and access quality health care. high – cannot protect African Americans from disparities that lead to Mortality Rates.
So what’s behind this?
A large and growing research group shows that the daily experience of African Americans produces physiological responses that lead to premature aging (meaning that people are biologically older than their age). ). Or, as described in American behavioral scientist, “The experience of racism is an important type of psychosocial stress that can lead to adverse changes in health status and altered behavioral patterns that increase health risk.”
Stress is a normal part of life, but when stress is a nagging daily experience, it is beyond our capacity to cope and the physiological systems designed to handle it fail. This physical response leads to an increased incidence of hypertension, diabetes or other health problems.
The first thing we must do is acknowledge that the everyday racism embedded in our culture is sickening and killing African-Americans, and commit to working together to make it worse. America becomes a healthier place for all.
First data from an unprecedented survey of 3,453 African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, Caucasians and LGBTQ adults from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, NPR and RWJF explore the experience of discrimination. Every demographic group surveyed feels that discrimination against their race or ethnic group exists in America today. This includes 78 percent Latinos, 75 percent Native Americans, 61 percent Asian Americans, and 55 percent non-Hispanic whites. However, 92% of African-Americans surveyed are more likely to agree with this statement.
Among African-Americans asked about their personal experiences:
- 32% say they themselves have experienced racism when visiting a doctor or health clinic; 22% avoided seeking medical care because of concerns about discrimination;
- 60% said they or a family member was stopped or treated unfairly by the police; 31% avoided calling the police when needed to avoid discrimination;
- 45% say they have been discriminated against when trying to rent or buy a home;
- 27% say they avoid everyday tasks like using a car or attending social events.
Not only avoiding the doctor but can lead to poor health. Not calling the police in an emergency can put safety and protection at risk. Safe and stable housing is one of the most basic needs for good health. And avoiding interactions with others can lead to social isolation, which is also linked to poor health.
The word discrimination is often reminiscent of historical examples of denial of the right to vote, hate crime, or discriminatory practices in housing and criminal justice. But not all discrimination is conscious, intentional, or personal. It is often built into institutional policies and practices like mortgage lending, zoning, or school-financing practices — which, in turn, impacts where you live, the quality of education you receive, or accessibility to public transport or good work — all related to Health.
But when discrimination is part of your daily norm, even an Ivy League education cannot fully protect you from its effects.
So what do we do with it? While there are examples of programs and policies to promote health equity, there really isn’t a simple answer. But the first thing we must do is acknowledge that the everyday racism that runs deep within our culture is sickening and killing African Americans, and commit to working together to make America a healthier place for all.
I hope to see my youngest daughter graduate from college in 2020. I look forward to that day. But more than that, I hope that she and all of her African-American classmates will continue to live healthy lives, outliving their 1970 Yale classmates.
Learn more about the Harvard survey results by accessing an on-demand transcript of a forum that explores the poll results and their implications for a healthier, more equal, and fairer society. .
About the author
David R. Williams is the Florence and Laura Norman Professor of Public Health, the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, and the professor of African American and African American Studies at Harvard University. Dr. Williams is an internationally recognized social scientist with a focus on the effects of society on health.
