Structural Racism, Social Risk Factors, and COVID-19
2020
This perspective article from The New England Journal of Medicine highlights the complex ways in which structural racism and COVID-19 have overlapped, leading to unfavorable health outcomes, especially among Black Americans. Structural racism refers to the ways in which societies foster discrimination through mutually reinforcing inequitable systems, observable across sectors spanning from education, housing, credit markets, health care, to the justice system. The convergence of discriminatory practices across sectors leads to inequitable laws and policies. The dismantling of these policies can create room for cross-sector partnerships and economic empowerment. The COVID-19 pandemic and emphasis on racial injustice calls the U.S. to take a closer look at how to use this moment in public health to create more equitable pathways for the future.
Structural Racism, Social Risk Factors, and COVID-19
Source:
Egede LE, Walker RJ. Structural Racism, Social Risk Factors, and Covid-19 — A Dangerous Convergence for Black Americans. The New England Journal of Medicine 2020; 383(12): e77(1)-e77(3). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmp2023616.