Impact of Racism on our Nation's Health

What to know

Racism, both structural and interpersonal, are fundamental causes of health inequities, health disparities and disease. The impact of these inequities on the health of Americans is severe, far-reaching, and unacceptable.

Disparities in Health Outcomes

A growing body of research shows that centuries of racism in this country has had a profound and negative impact on communities of color.1 The impact is pervasive and deeply embedded in our society—affecting where one lives, learns, works, worships, and plays, and creating inequities in access to a range of social and economic benefits—such as housing, education, wealth, and employment. These conditions—often referred to as social determinants of health—are key drivers of health inequities within communities of color, placing those within these populations at greater risk for poor health outcomes.

Reminder‎

These health disparities emphasize the urgent need to address systemic racism as a root cause of racial and ethnic health inequities and a core element of our public health efforts.

Levels of Racism

There are various forms of racism that—for more than 400 years—have defined and created most of the inequitable structures that exist in our society and led to health inequities today.2,3 The three types of racism include:

  • Structural, Institutional, or Systemic Racism: Differential access to the goods, services, and opportunities of society by race
  • Personally Mediated or Interpersonal Racism: Prejudice (differential assumptions) and discrimination (differential actions) by individuals towards others
  • Internalized Racism: Acceptance by members of the stigmatized races of negative messages about their own abilities and intrinsic worth

Historical and current racism impacts access to resources for optimal health for some racial and ethnic minority groups. This is one reason for health differences throughout the United States in diabetes, hypertension, obesity, asthma, heart disease, cancer, and preterm birth, as well as average life expectancy among some racial and ethnic minority groups, when compared to their White counterparts.4

The COVID-19 pandemic, and its disproportionate impact among racial and ethnic minority populations is another stark example of these enduring health disparities. These health disparities underscore the urgent need to address systemic racism as a root cause of racial and ethnic health inequities and a core element of our public health efforts.

Science and Research

To understand the broad impact of racism on health, we must examine the evidence. A growing body of research from leading organizations demonstrates that racism itself—above and beyond other social determinants of health—negatively impacts health outcomes.

Our goal is to better understand the adverse health effects of racism, share the latest scientific methods, identify solutions, and, ultimately, improve and save lives.

Selected Research

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Content Source:
Minority Health