History and Health

Race and racism have been foundational to medicine as an institution and to the U.S. health system. This learning module traces the history of racism in medicine as a continuum, with deep roots in the institution of slavery, and shows how racism has affected African Americans’ health and health care practices. It documents how medical doctors, philosophers, and scientists throughout history have contributed to the creation and perpetuation of racial inferiority and race-based stereotypes. These theories were first taught in the U.S. medical schools in the 18th, 19th, and first part of the 20th century. They demonstrate how this institutional practice throughout the United States, coupled with 246 years of slavery and biased education, led to what Byrd and Clayton (2001)  call “medical and scientific abuse, unethical experimentation, and overutilization of African Americans as subjects for teaching and training purposes.”