Understanding Health Disparities
Health disparities refers to a higher burden of illness, mortality, disability, and more experienced by one group relative to another in regards to race, ethnicity, or more. These are preventable burdens that we hope will be fixed to achieve optimal health. We encourage further education and knowledge about these topics so we can be apart of the solution. Here we have recommendations on ways to do that.
1.
Class Recommendations:
- Sociology 101 with Professor Thompson
​
- Sociology 241 Health, Illness, & Society
​
- Medicine and Race in the World of Henrietta Lacks Learning Community
​
- Baltimore and Boston: Urban Medical Communities
​
- Medicine and the African American Experience
​
- Integrative Seminar: Learning from Henrietta Lacks
2.
Movie Recommendations:
- When They See Us
- The Help
- Loving
- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
3.
Article Recommendation:
- "Racism is Terrible. Blackness is Not." By: Imani Perry Article from The Atlantic
​
4.
Book Recommendations:
- Medical Apartheid by Harriet A. Washington depicts the history of black Americans unwillingly/unwittingly participating in medicine. It is #1 bestseller on Amazon's Medical Ethics.
​
- Black and Blue by John Hoberman depicts the systemic racism in the medical field and how racial profiling affects treatment for black patients.
​
- Just Medicine by Dayna Bowen Matthew depicts the inequalities in American healthcare but also offers solutions to these issues. It is #1 bestseller on Amazon's Medical Law and Legislation.
​
- White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo
​
- How to be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi
5.
Simmons Resources:
- OCIE (Organizational Culture, Inclusion, & Equity)
- Multicultural Center
6.
Webinar Recommendation:
- TED Talk: Why Your Doctor Should Care about Social Justice