Dr. Blackstock: ‘There’s Something Inherently Wrong with the Systems That We Live in that Essentially Makes [Black People] Sick and Lead to Our Shortened Lives’

LEMIRE Welcome back to ░░░░░░░░ Joe As we come ░░░░░░░░ on 9 49 A ░░░░░░░░ here on the East ░░░░░░░░ a new book is ░░░░░░░░ the alarm on how ░░░░░░░░ of color are being ░░░░░░░░ behind in the American ░░░░░░░░ system In Legacy A ░░░░░░░░ Physician Reckons with Racism ░░░░░░░░ Medicine Dr Uche Blackstock ░░░░░░░░ a light on the ░░░░░░░░ and ongoing racism in ░░░░░░░░ medical field and its ░░░░░░░░ impact on black communities ░░░░░░░░ Blackstock also shares several ░░░░░░░░ her own deeply personal ░░░░░░░░ including a nearly fatal ░░░░░░░░ of appendicitis that was ░░░░░░░░ misdiagnosed And Dr Blackstock ░░░░░░░░ us now She is ░░░░░░░░ an emergency medical physician ░░░░░░░░ founder and chief executive ░░░░░░░░ Advancing Health Equity which ░░░░░░░░ to engage with healthcare ░░░░░░░░ to dismantle racism in ░░░░░░░░ industry A familiar face ░░░░░░░░ to Way Too Early ░░░░░░░░ Dr Blackstock great to ░░░░░░░░ you Congratulations on the ░░░░░░░░ BLACKSTOCK Thank you LEMIRE ░░░░░░░░ let let s start ░░░░░░░░ Just tell us a ░░░░░░░░ bit if you will ░░░░░░░░ some of these personal ░░░░░░░░ that motivated you to ░░░░░░░░ this topic and then ░░░░░░░░ this book BLACKSTOCK Right ░░░░░░░░ well first thank you ░░░░░░░░ much for having me ░░░░░░░░ think what s important ░░░░░░░░ know is that I ░░░░░░░░ a second generation black ░░░░░░░░ physician and to say ░░░░░░░░ it s incredibly rare ░░░░░░░░ than 3 percent of ░░░░░░░░ physicians are black women ░░░░░░░░ in a sense a ░░░░░░░░ but that is because ░░░░░░░░ systemic barriers that exist ░░░░░░░░ I share in this ░░░░░░░░ some personal experiences losing ░░░░░░░░ mother before the by ░░░░░░░░ age of 47 to ░░░░░░░░ blood cancer that is ░░░░░░░░ rare and really thinking ░░░░░░░░ how the impact of ░░░░░░░░ could have shortened her ░░░░░░░░ I also had my ░░░░░░░░ experiences as you mentioned ░░░░░░░░ appendicitis that went misdiagnosed ░░░░░░░░ three ER visits that ░░░░░░░░ to a perforated appendix ░░░░░░░░ further complications as a ░░░░░░░░ student leading me to ░░░░░░░░ a month of medical ░░░░░░░░ So a lot of ░░░░░░░░ experiences that you use ░░░░░░░░ talk about these larger ░░░░░░░░ issues Sharpton Dr Blackstock ░░░░░░░░ of the things that ░░░░░░░░ me about the book ░░░░░░░░ not only do you ░░░░░░░░ about your personal health ░░░░░░░░ and the systemic problem ░░░░░░░░ racism in the medical ░░░░░░░░ but it s in ░░░░░░░░ blood to fight and ░░░░░░░░ with these things Your ░░░░░░░░ I m from Brooklyn ░░░░░░░░ re from Brooklyn your ░░░░░░░░ used to do a ░░░░░░░░ of health work clinics ░░░░░░░░ in in the Brooklyn ░░░░░░░░ when there was hardly ░░░░░░░░ idea of black women ░░░░░░░░ a physician BLACKSTOCK Yeah ░░░░░░░░ Now you and your ░░░░░░░░ carrying that on and ░░░░░░░░ of that Talk about ░░░░░░░░ the systemic racism was ░░░░░░░░ you grew up with ░░░░░░░░ to dealing with and ░░░░░░░░ your mother helped pioneer ░░░░░░░░ and what it means ░░░░░░░░ you BLACKSTOCK Yes Thank ░░░░░░░░ for asking about that ░░░░░░░░ Al because my mother ░░░░░░░░ a small group of ░░░░░░░░ women physicians in central ░░░░░░░░ that organized community health ░░░░░░░░ Sharpton Right BLACKSTOCK that ░░░░░░░░ blood pressure linked patients ░░░░░░░░ physicians to help manage ░░░░░░░░ diabetes They were doing ░░░░░░░░ grassroots work when when ░░░░░░░░ equity did not even ░░░░░░░░ that term So they ░░░░░░░░ addressing the consequences of ░░░░░░░░ in the 80s and ░░░░░░░░ in our communities in ░░░░░░░░ grassroots way when we ░░░░░░░░ t even really openly ░░░░░░░░ it like we are ░░░░░░░░ So I really wanted ░░░░░░░░ shine a light on ░░░░░░░░ Because now we re ░░░░░░░░ the black maternal mortality ░░░░░░░░ we re seeing that ░░░░░░░░ mothers are three to ░░░░░░░░ times more likely to ░░░░░░░░ of pregnancy related complications ░░░░░░░░ even me with my ░░░░░░░░ degree and medical degree ░░░░░░░░ Harvard I m still ░░░░░░░░ times more likely to ░░░░░░░░ of pregnancy related complications ░░░░░░░░ my white counterparts So ░░░░░░░░ are the issues that ░░░░░░░░ need to talk about ░░░░░░░░ there s nothing inherently ░░░░░░░░ with black people but ░░░░░░░░ s something inherently wrong ░░░░░░░░ the systems that we ░░░░░░░░ in that essentially make ░░░░░░░░ sick and lead to ░░░░░░░░ shortened lives LEMIRE Truly ░░░░░░░░ statistics.”