I have always been acutely aware of the unique health challenges that affect our community. From systemic racism in healthcare to the disproportionate impact of chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension, these issues have profound implications for our physical and mental well-being.
That’s why I’m so excited to dive into these books exploring black health and wellness. By examining everything from historical trauma to cultural practices that promote healing, they offer invaluable insights into how we can take control of our own health and thrive as individuals and communities.
Join me on this journey towards better understanding the complex interplay between race, culture, and wellbeing – it’s an essential conversation for us all.
Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present by Harriet A. Washington
Reading this book was a gut-wrenching and eye-opening experience for me. It provides an unflinching look into the appalling history of medical experimentation on black Americans, dating all the way back to colonial times up until present day.
The author does not shy away from detailing the horrific abuses that black bodies have been subjected to in the name of scientific advancement and medical progress.
One key takeaway from this book is how deeply ingrained racism is in American society, even within our healthcare system.
It highlights how little regard has been given to black lives throughout history, and how this legacy continues today through disparities in healthcare access and treatment.
Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of America’s dark history with medical experimentation on people of color.
“Stony the Road: Reconstruction, White Supremacy, and the Rise of Jim Crow” by Henry Louis Gates Jr.
This book delves into one of America’s most shameful periods – Reconstruction following the Civil War – where instead of true equality being achieved for black Americans, they were met with increased violence and oppression under white supremacist rule.
What struck me most about this book was its masterful storytelling through historical research.
The author weaves together anecdotes from real people’s lives during this era alongside broader social commentary on what motivated racist policies like voter suppression laws or segregationist policies enacted by southern states after abolitionism failed post-Civil War reconstruction efforts.
The key takeaway I gained from reading “Stony The Road” is that white supremacy has always been a powerful force guiding America’s government policy towards African-Americans no matter which party controls it; further highlighting that systemic change needs to happen if we are ever going to truly achieve racial justice.
“The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot
This nonfiction narrative reads like fiction as it follows Henrietta Lacks’ cells (taken without her consent) being used for decades as scientific testing solutions around cancer research while she remained unknown even though her family members did not know anything about these experiments taking place using their loved ones’ cells until much later when they had inadvertently found out..
“The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks” presents ethical concerns over ownership rights human tissue samples against profit-driven medical industry practices still relevant today along with issues surrounding informed consent regarding human subjects research including patient privacy breaches ultimately forcing readers & researchers alike reexamine their own relationship with medicine –
Who owns your body parts? Are you aware your genetic code may be unknowingly being used for commercial purposes?
This well written account brings attention not only attention but also empathy for patients whose stories might otherwise remain untold leading one to question what other secrets science holds behind closed laboratory doors..
