Healthcare No Fair: Exploring Racial Inequities in the US Healthcare System

The National Association of Social Workers defines social justice as " the view that everyone deserves equal economic, political and social rights and opportunities". The definitions can be varied, but they all say generally the same thing: social justice means equal rights and opportunities for all. Social Justice is essentially right relationship in society, meaning everyone has what they need to survive and thrive. Based on this definition, a social justice issue is any societal issue that denies a group of people their rights and opportunities, rooted in wrong relationships.

The issue of racism in healthcare is a social justice issue because it directly violates the definition of social justice. Due to a system formed on the ideals of white supremacy with implicit and explicit biases, Black Americans are not receiving the same quality of healthcare as their White counterparts. They are less likely to receive necessary treatments and are more likely to die of many diseases.

Although this racism and mistreatment is happening to minority groups all over the world, I have decided to focus on the affects on Black Americans, as the inequities are very prevalent among this population.