I Start By Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
(January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968)
Yesterday was the first day of Black History Month, and last month we celebrated the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. So I can’t think of a better way to establish my corner of the virtual universe that’s dedicated to the health and wellness of children than reflecting on the words of the great leader.
Dr. King is recognized for his life’s non-violent work of orchestrating the dream of equity for all Americans within the system of justice. His work advocating for health equity, though short was just as impactful.
On March 25, 1966, he addressed the Second Convention of the Medical Committee for Human Rights in Chicago, and in part he said:
“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and inhuman because it often results in physical death.”
The sentiment of these words is what defines my passion for doing my part of ensuring health equity among children, children of color specifically, and black children especially.
From the brutality and inhuman treatment of millions of our ancestors who were abducted from Africa and enslaved for profit during the American Slave Trade to the 1787 U.S Constitutional Convention adoption of the “Three-Fifths Compromise” that quantified enslaved Africans lives as being only three-fifths of a human, or the long and detrimental history of hospital segregation until just 1964, the institution of health has long been impacted by racial prejudice and injustice.
Racism has reinforced many mistruths about Black people, their health, and well-being. These beliefs have resulted in what has been described as a slow, sustained, and chronic impact on the health of Blacks for generations, and manifest in the health and well-being of our children today.
These manifestations take the form of health disparities among black children, often associated with residential segregation. Residential segregation is linked to the increased risk of asthma attacks among children of color because of greater air pollution in these areas. For example, infant death within the first year of life is twice as likely among black children than that of white children, largely due to the high rate of preterm births among black women. Likewise, the children of Flint, Michigan were devasted by the increased lead levels in the area’s drinking water as a result of state negligence in this underserved area.
I don’t doubt for one second that health-care providers serve with noble intentions. So what can my health professional colleagues and I do to ensure equitable health care delivery? Well, we start by confronting our own implicit biases; our attitudes or the stereotypes that are rooted in false beliefs - no, lies - and passed on, or acted on as fact. Implicit biases have affected our understanding, actions, and decisions in an unconscious manner thereby impacting how we deliver health care.
Dr. King spoke many words of compassion and wisdom in his lifetime. Today, may these words land on the fertile hearts of my colleagues serving in the American health care system. May we boldly recognize and counter any instance of racial bias in the health-care delivery of our patients. Their lives, mine being your children, especially black children, depend on it.
May this always be where all the children are well.
I would love to hear your thoughts! Parents, have you experienced instances where you felt you were not being heard as a parent as a result of your family’s race or culture? Providers, what is your approach to eliminating implicit bias from your practice?
References
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Elias, A., Paradies, Y. The Costs of Institutional Racism and its Ethical Implications for Healthcare. Bioethical Inquiry (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11673-020-10073-0
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Hannah-Jones, N. (Host). (2019, September 13). How the bad blood started (No. 4) [Audio podcast episode]. In 1619. The New York Times. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-4-how-the-bad-blood-started/id1476928106?i=1000449718223
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McBrides, D. (2018). Caring for equality: A history of African-American health and healthcare. Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield.
Nguemeni Tiako, M.J., South, E.C. & Burris, H.H. (2021). Lethality of racism for black children in the USA: A primer. Archives of Disease in Childhood 0(0), 1-2. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2020-320139
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Washington, H. A. (2006). Medical apartheid: the dark history of medical experimentation on Black Americans from colonial times to the present. New York: Doubleday.
