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The history of systemic racism in medicine

Dr. Uche’ Blackstock is a Harvard-trained physician.
Diane Zhao
Dr. Uche’ Blackstock is a Harvard-trained physician.

Dr. Uche’ Blackstock grew up watching her mother don a white lab coat and grab a black medical bag on her way to treat underserved patients.

That inspired Uche’ and her twin sister Oni to pursue medical school where their mother did, at Harvard, becoming the first Black mother-daughter legacies from the school.

In their work at public and private hospitals, they witnessed the mounting disparities when it came to race, a gulf that has widened over the decades.

And producing some of the grimmest health statistics for Black Americans: shorter life spans, more aggressive diseases, difficult even deadly pregnancies.

A different kind of legacy.

We talk with Dr. Uche’ Blackstock about her new book, and why the history of systemic racism in medicine is hard to shake.

Guest:

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