One night, as a newlywed living in Trenton, New Jersey, I had a severe asthma attack. My husband drove me to the nearest emergency department, where a nurse took over my care. Turning to me offhandedly, she asked, “So, hon, do you have any clean veins?”
I sat in shock, which quickly turned into weary recognition. I don’t drink and I don’t smoke. But my nurse that night saw a Black woman and assumed I was looking for drugs.
Anyone who says systemic racism doesn’t exist hasn’t navigated our nation’s healthcare system as a person of color and more precisely, a Black woman.
As we continue to observe and celebrate the vital role of women in American history, I am reminded of the generations of Black women who’ve dedicated their lives to fighting for equity. Their fight, much like the one I confronted in that emergency room years ago, and have since continued to take on, is ultimately a fight for our health and wellbeing.
It is also a fight for the generations of women to come. Young women, like my daughter Darynn.
We know, as research has proven, that Black women have worse health outcomes compared to our white counterparts across every age and income level. We also know that a person’s access to a stable income, education, healthy food, housing and a safe living environment is tightly intertwined with the measure of their health. As a result of inequity, Black women face ongoing risks to our health — both from health professionals who approach our concerns with bias, and from the physical and mental wear and tear caused by racism.
Of course, Black men and other people of color experience this toll too. Yet, I am reminded of this famous quote from the Black feminist group Combahee River Collective: “If Black women were free, it would mean that everyone else would have to be free since our freedom would necessitate the destruction of all the systems of oppression.”
In other words, in order to reform our fractured healthcare system for the betterment of all, the needs of marginalized women must be prioritized and amplified.
From my standpoint, taking the time to observe and celebrate the vital role of women in American history represents an opportunity for organizations and leaders in healthcare to actively address systemic racism and health disparities for Black women.
At the time of my experience in the ER, I was working in maternal and child health planning. Because of my professional experience and knowledge of the medical industry, I was able to begin a conversation with the CEO and explain what had just taken place.
Now, at RWJBarnabas Health, I, along with our team of health strategists, physicians and executive leaders, am committed to creating a roadmap to tangibly build equity and combat systemic racism for Black women and marginalized communities. Through our recent efforts to institute organizational change, Ending Racism Together, I feel buoyed that within the largest academic health care system in New Jersey, we are working to incorporate antiracist principles into every aspect of operational and clinical strategy, from workplace environment to patient care methods.
But, make no mistake, this fight is for the long haul. The structures and practices that perpetuate inequity were created over time. They can and must ultimately be deconstructed. Through the dedication of time, money and human resources, antiracism in healthcare — the active, intentional and sustained work to uncover bias, eradicate discrimination and build equity — is an attainable goal.
And so, I urge you to honor those who have worked tirelessly to ensure and expand Black wellness, and simultaneously join in this fight to eliminate inequity. As our foremothers knew, this isn’t just for ourselves. It is for our daughters and the daughters that are to come.
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DeAnna Minus-Vincent is the EVP, Chief Social Justice and Accountability Officer at the RWJBarnabas Health, the largest academic health care system in New Jersey. She leads the system’s antiracism and health equity strategy, Ending Racism Together.
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