Racial injustice in healthcare is real, but it need not be permanent

By combining the voices of two doctors, a black woman and a white man, we offer insights to help everyone understand persisting health injustices.

Jessica’s 4-year-old son Seth had a complex medical history, so her mother’s intuition about his sudden illness was even more important than usual. Yet, this black woman’s cries for help as her son’s oxygenation and heart rate plummeted to zero were ignored by the staff until she witnessed her child’s cardiac arrest. Her Facebook Live video went viral because her rage hammered home the painful racial health disparities that are evident in the United States.