The May 4, 2021 session of Duke Medicine LEADS featured a presentation by Keisha L. Bentley-Edwards, PhD, on, "African American Health, the ‘Racial Reckoning’ and the Push for Health Equity."
Here are pearls and takeaways from the session:
- Being black is not a risk factor, RACISM is a risk factor for health disparities.
- Recognizing systemic failures does not eliminate personal agency around health behaviors, but It does recognize that health behaviors, conditions, and outcomes are informed by the societal structures.
- Historical context matters. Myths persist in the black community and affect willingness to seek health care. Roughly 1/5 of black adults report discrimination personally or to a family member in a health care setting.
- Moving forward we have multiple tasks ahead of us including system and individual behavior changes. Institutional racism is supported by institutional policies and norms, so we need to focus on building trustworthy systems, and know when to advocate and when to amplify.
Duke Medicine Learning, Education, and Discussion Series (LEADS) takes place each Tuesday at 12 p.m. Learn more and see schedule of upcoming sessions.
