Final Blog Post

My expectations for the course - my notecard: "I'm really interested in looking at implicit biases and how they affect the quality of healthcare opportunities/services. I am also curious to see how healthcare was handled in the context of slavery and how certain illnesses were treated along with the impact it may have on the healthcare of current races and lineages.”

As I reflect on this class and its fulfillment of my expectations, I think about how far my knowledge of the black experience has been able to span into all facets of life. I was originally intrigued by this course because of its focus on medical racial disparities; a topic that is seldom realized or discussed. I now have another perspective that I can stem my arguments from. One  of the most successful parts of this class was our ability to have constructive conversation and be able to make connections between readings. I am certain that the selection of books that we were assigned helped make our discussions more meaningful and impactful. I think that people learn best when they are placed in an environment they are not accustomed to and are encouraged to have difficult exchanges; and I believe that this class accomplished just that.

I have a better understanding of how some of the injustices that were implemented in slave times have infiltrated into institutional disparities and racism. These disparities permeate the healthcare industry and make it make difficult for minority communities to qualify for healthcare and sometimes even with that qualification, they are often treated unfairly. It was interesting to see how historical events and ideals have affected the way in which institutions hinder and cripple minority communities.

This class challenged me to think bigger and to think in more complex ways about how race plays a role in medicine. While further solidifying the ideas of prejudice I already had, this class also allowed me to make new statements and comparisons based on fact. I had the chance and was encouraged to analyze the implications of specific racial narratives and experiences in a way that I had never explored until now. I hope that this class will continue to be offered because it brings to light incredibly important dialogue about current healthcare issues and their impact on marginalized groups.