The health disparities that afflict African American women have been heavily studied by social scientists. Medical professionals and social researchers alike have uncovered shocking statistics that detail the severity of the health disparities African American women face. However, what I found most shocking is that, when placed into a historical context, the disparities seen today fit into a trend of disparity that African American women have faced from the first moment they encountered the healthcare system. While the dominant paradigm has focused on how African American women contribute to the perpetuation of their own health disparities (ie.e through poor diet, unhealthy lifestyle choices, poor communication with physicians etc.), little research has interrogated how systemic and institutional forces perpetuate health disparities within such a vulnerable population. For that reason, I argue that future studies on health disparities should focus on the impact systemic racism and institutional inequality have on African American women and their healthcare outcomes.

You can find My article in Journal of Black Masculinity

Zinobia Bennefield. 2011. “Injecting Illness: An Analysis of the Role Institutional Inequality Plays in Health Disparity among African American Women.” Journal of Black Masculinity. 2(1):117-134.