Eradicating the Disease

Rachel Willis
Nov 7 · 2 min read

She wore a cream sweater, paired with black leggings, and black boots that matched her hair. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat as I invited the participants to tell me how they were feeling after an hour of exploring research with their colleagues.

I heard facts that surprised people. I listened to them come to realizations that stories of their own personal lives reinforced what they read. Then, with flushed cheeks, she shifted one last time in her seat, raised her voice and screamed, “It’s literally killing us!”

Racism is not an official cause of death but it could be.

A few days ago an article was released that stated African Americans were who were sicker and had more chronic conditions than their white counterparts were less likely to receive advanced care due to bias in the medical system’s algorithm.

I was not surprised.

It’s hard to be surprised when Black and Indigenous women are three times more likely to die from causes related to pregnancy than their White peers.

It’s hard to be surprised when you know that oncologists spend more time with their White patients than their Black patients, which causes them to have more questions about their diagnosis and less confidence in their treatment.

It’s hard to be surprised when you know that only 12% of women in computer science are Black or Latinx and only 2% of those women work in Silicon Valley, which means our eyes may not have been around to catch the algorithm’s fatal flaw.

Racism in not an official cause of death in America but it has been.

From the Trail of Tears, to the men and women we lost during chattel slavery, to race riots targeting Black and Asian communities, to Wounded Knee, to lynchings, and police brutality.

What surprises us is not that racism can kill us. It’s that when it kills us, it’s no longer as blatant as it once was.

“It’s literally killing us!” she screamed. The room turned silent; some were quiet out of reverence, others out of fear, and a few out of shame. Eighty eyes looked towards me.

“You’re right,” I agreed. “Racism is literally killing us. It’s time we eradicate the disease.”

Rachel Willis

Written by

Racial justice educator. Daughter. Sister. Cousin. Friend. Caregiver in recovery.

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