Learning from the Past to Dismantle Oppression
For the past 3 weeks, we have been exploring all the ways we can continue to advance social justice in the wellness space during these difficult times.
It’s incredibly important we continue to keep this at the top of our priorities, especially if you hold privilege.
This week I caught up with Lettie, a black historian and host of the Sincerely Lettie podcast.
I hope you get as much out of this conversation as I did!
The data is in on who Covid-19 disproportionately affects: Brown and Black communities. From a Historian’s perspective, how does this compare to previous pandemics?
In 2009 during the H1N1 pandemic, for example, Black Americans were the most susceptible and of course medical institutions said the main reasons was because of already existing health issues. But the truth is, structural racism, environmental racism, and institutional racism are the reasons Black communities have always been affected the most with any pandemic. Brown communities have been as well. Housing segregation, lack of access to health care, medical discrimination, food insecurity; these are all part of it. The list goes on. These public health disparities are seen every day in Black and Brown communities.
How do we make sense of the inequities in wellness when the industry is worth billions of dollars?
Access, access, access! Black and Brown communities just do not have access to healthcare that is necessary. White supremacy culture is foundational in our country’s history and is what allowed laws and policies to be made that continuously discriminated against Black and Brown communities. Whiteness has privileges that were built into cultures of institutions, and still remain. Structural and institutional racism is so real and the first step to making sense of the inequities is to acknowledge that this racism exists. Black and Brown communities have experienced this for centuries.
I’ll also add that the billions of dollars the industry is worth started with horrific and torturous medical experiments done on enslaved Black people in history, particularly throughout the American South. Medical education and the professionalization of medicine was obtained by white Americans through Black bodies they saw as disposable and also racist ideas.
Bias seems to play a major role in how people choose to send monetary support and to who. What do you advise people do to unpack those biases?
I believe it starts with people—white America in particular—making a conscious choice to listen, particularly to people in Black and Brown communities. This doesn’t mean there needs to be an expectation for these voices to give all the answers. People need to educate themselves by reading books and articles and listening to podcasts about racism, our country’s history of enslavement, white privilege, socioeconomic disparities, and more.
Having tough conversations is also critical. The unpacking won’t happen unless communication and acknowledgment are there.
Is there anything that gives you hope for wellness becoming more accessible to brown and black folks currently or in the near future?
Social and institutional structures must be reformed to collectively change the public health disparities we see as a whole. It’s definitely doable and needs to be a priority.
I do love that topics surrounding wellness, like meditation, therapy, and awareness about healthcare disparities, are being openly talked about more and more. There is more education for Black and Brown communities about what to do and how to navigate the obstacles we do face. I’ve seen more panels about race and wellness, therapists on social media that are providing free resources, realistic and tangible ways to advocate for ourselves. There are many social and racial justice activists, advocates, and organizations that prioritize educational and financial help to these communities. All of that gives me hope.