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Even as Black Americans Get Richer, Their Health Outcomes Remain Poor [psmag.com]

 

One of the prevailing views on the disparities between whites and blacks in terms of medical care and mortality is that people of color suffer from worse health outcomes solely due to a lack of financial resources. It is true that low education and socioeconomic status are often associated with worse health outcomes, and the correlation is quite high. Additionally, people of color are substantially more likely to reside in areas with low economic opportunity, and are also significantly more likely than their white counterparts to be in a position where they lack adequate health coverage and mental-health care.

However, this data has been used only to equate the disparities of struggle and poverty between varying ethnic groups. The resulting logic is that, by targeting income inequality, we can directly solve racism. But the large number of black Americans who don't struggle from economic inequality? They're facing worsened health outcomes too.

Income inequality is not the end-all-be-all of issues experienced by black Americans, yet is often implied to be the case. Believing black American struggles are solely rooted in financial security overlooks the effects that racism has on the physical and mental health of people of color in the United States. Centering the conversation around financial issues also ignores data that relates to the physical and mental health of black Americans with high economic and educational success.

[For more on this story by ROCHAUN MEADOWS-FERNANDEZ, go to https://psmag.com/social-justi...outcomes-remain-poor]

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