Introduction
The event was prepared to discuss the intersection between racial inequality and health. Healthcare is a fundamental right of all people, and the government should ensure that all people have equal access to primary care services. The speakers prefaced the topic of discussion with the long history of discrimination against African Americans and why they have been deprived of quality care. The discussion was based on three prongs, reproductive injustice, health equity, and black life during the pandemic. The event underscored the impacts of racial inequalities and discrimination in providing healthcare services. African Americans and other marginalized groups experience poor healthcare because they are underserved and have limited access to insurance coverage and primary care facilities.
Discussion
The fight for black freedom in the United States of America has produced remarkable outcomes since the civil war in 1964. Despite the strides, the ethnic group has the lowest life expectancy rate in the country because of economic disadvantage. The high rate of unemployment, lower education level, and racial discrepancy in different sectors of the economy make African Americans live a miserable life, and many languish in poverty and poor health (Serchen et al., 2020). Therefore, the critical content of the event was to determine the steps covered so far in the fight for racial equality in the provision of care and what can be done to improve the status of African Americans in the country.
The introduction of the affordable care act by President Barrack Obama was a positive step towards the provision of healthcare to all people regardless of their racial orientation. The rate of uninsured people among blacks reduced considerably. The act increased the number of insured people by 20 million, out of which 2.8 million were blacks (Abedi et al., 2021). Consequently, the blacks gained more insurance coverage and increased their quality of life in the discourse. The lack of Medicaid expansion to the southern states where most African Americans are found makes them prone to experience a lack of insurance services. The Department of Health and human services notes that 58% of the people living in the South are blacks and are highly uninsured (Serchen et al., 2020). Texas, Georgia, and Florida are the homes of the most uninsured blacks whose life is in danger as the pandemic such as covid-19 looms.
The event proposes holistic adjustments in providing healthcare services for all to ensure that blacks are also covered. Affirmative action is the core strategy to eliminate inequality, as everyone receives quality healthcare services. Further, the healthcare workforce must be diversified to have blacks and whites working as care providers for equal care (Serchen et al., 2020). Primary care must be emphasized for all, and policies supporting the same be implemented in the bicameral house to have both blacks and whites access quality healthcare.
How Event Pertains to Class Material
The contents of the event and its corresponding proposals relate to the class reading in sociology. The class is on human relations and how the relations can be improved for people to experience a higher quality of life. Racial discrimination is one of the major hindrances to the quality of life among blacks in the USA. Besides the healthcare inequalities, the class relates to how blacks suffer unemployment and unequal access to education and housing (Yearby, 2018). The history of movements for equality, such as black lives matter, underscores the struggle the blacks have undergone to reach the gains they enjoy today. Racial discrimination has been fought in the USA, and remarkable achievement has been experienced, although more action is needed to eradicate racial discrimination in the country. Were it not for racial discrimination, the quality of life among blacks would have been improved.
Besides the healthcare discrepancy, racial discrimination in the USA is the primary cause of high poverty among blacks. Since blacks have no equal access to education, they have a limited number of graduates, and most of them are left to do manual jobs with low wages. The meager earnings jeopardize their ability to buy homes, and consequently, slums and other informal settlement increase in the USA (Abedi et al., 2021). The impacts of racial discrimination are far-reaching, and the government of the day must focus on robust policies and affirmative action to ensure that blacks experience equality and better quality of life. All the problems experienced by blacks in the USA stem from racial discrimination, and any person who wishes to improve their quality of life must work to eliminate discrimination among the group.
Conclusion
The causes of racial discrimination can only be understood after an intense debate that originated from the post-war era and the affluent society where blacks were treated as second-class citizens. Striking blacks such as Martin Luther King Junior fought for equality in the USA, which is yet to be achieved (Yearby, 2018). The fight against racial inequality has significantly improved the lives of blacks and can be improved by eliminating the remaining elements of racial discrimination in the region. It takes government intervention, such as affirmative action and strict punishment for people convicted of discriminating the blacks based on their color.
References
Abedi, V., Olulana, O., Avula, V., Chaudhary, D., Khan, A., Shahjouei, S., & Zand, R. (2021). Racial, economic, and health inequality and COVID-19 infection in the United States.Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities, 8(3), 732–742.
Serchen, J., Doherty, R., Atiq, O., Hilden, D., & Health and Public Policy Committee of the American College of Physicians*. (2020). Racism and health in the United States: a policy statement from the American College of Physicians.Annals of Internal Medicine, 173(7), 556–557.
Yearby, R. (2018). Racial disparities in health status and access to healthcare: the continuation of inequality in the United States due to structural racism. American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 77(3-4), 1113–1152.