Faculty Scholarship

A complex legacy of racism in the United States continues to create health inequities among people of color. Systemic biases in education, employment, housing, healthcare, access to food, accumulation of wealth, and the legal system contribute to poorer health among communities of color. These social determinants of health are driving factors behind the “weathering hypothesis”, where chronic exposure to discrimination and disadvantage lead to accelerated decline in health outcomes, particularly among Black individuals. Black Americans experience greater rates of disease in nearly every major indicator of physical health as compared to other racial and ethnic groups in the United States. Infant mortality among African Americans is twice the national average, and the life expectancy for Black men and women is consistently shorter than their White counterparts.  While this report focuses primarily on Black communities and other persons of color, we acknowledge many groups similarly face discrimination based on gender identity, sexual orientation, social class, and ability.