In my Civic Issues blog posts, I plan to engage you all in the topic of mistrust African American communities have towards the medical system and/or the health care providers who work for this system. To begin, I will be addressing the origins of this mistrust. Following, I will be placing my personal opinions and inviting fresh perspectives and ideas on specific situations that showcase why these individuals lack trust within this establishment. Lastly, I will provide ways on how to improve trust between these two groups. I am a firm believer that solving systemic issues, no matter how big or small, can lead to great, beneficiary outcomes for the United States, and I hope that I can push you to believe the same.
As a black woman who has encountered numerous eye-changing experiences, I always felt as though my duty and purpose in life was to advocate for those who face similar struggles that I do. Being “woke” about these important civic issues is a major part of my identity and I love sharing the knowledge I obtain when researching these topics. These issues drive me to be an advocate for change and be the support system not many of my African American counterparts have. Black Americans lack a lot in the United States, and I feel as though bringing awareness to issues such as this is the first step to major change.
The medical system has been around since as early as 1735 and it is a system that is vital to the lives of all individuals no matter your age, race, gender, religion, creed, etc. This system has a long history of mistreatment amongst African American individuals, dating as early as slavery. Some recognizable historical moments that showcase this include the Tuskegee experiment and the forced sterilization of black women, which I will be covering in future blogs to come. You may believe that this lack of trust is typically identifiable between civilians and medical professional, yet some African American medical professionals do not trust the system they work for either. It is important to educate ourselves on the history and current impacts of such systemic issues and their significance to our lives, our ancestors lives, and the lives of those to follow.
Though the word “mistrust” has a negative connotation, lack of trust can lead to positive and negative outcomes for African American people. For example, a person’s lack of trust can cause them to avoid health care which can lead to sickness, while on the other hand, some individuals may use this to advocate for health system reform. This issue is a complex one that I plan to uncover and bring deep awareness to by the end of this semester. I hope my blog posts will leave you with an open mind and a passion for advocacy in order to combat a severe systemic issue our country have been battling for years.
https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/newsletter-article/2021/jan/medical-mistrust-among-black-americans
I’m excited to hear more about this issue! Black Americans face a lot of obstacles in the US and it’s unfortunate that the medical system meant to heal, is only hurting them. You’re gonna do great analyzing and bringing much needed awareness to this topic!