Black Lives Matter at Work

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Black lives matter. According to a Washington Post database, more than
500 people, a disproportionate number of them African-American, have
been shot dead by police this year. Others, such as Sandra Bland, who
died in a Texas jail cell under suspicious circumstances, have died while in
police custody. Harassment based on race remains evident in too many
routine police matters as well, evidenced by “stop and frisk” practices. All
have serious health consequences from loss of life to serious injuries to
exacerbating physical and mental health problems.
Inequity in incarceration. With 5 percent of the world population, the
United States has 25 percent of the world’s prisoners. Though only onefourth
of the U.S. population combined, African-Americans and Latinos
comprise 58 percent of the prisoners. One in three African-American males
born today is likely, under current trends, to spend time in prison. Arrests
for drug offenses and minimum sentencing laws disproportionately affect
African-Americans. In addition to the disparate treatment based on race,
inadequate health services are common in prison settings and, the NAACP
notes, infectious diseases are highly concentrated in prison settings.
Racism remains a significant public health issue. Even with the
implementation of the Affordable Care Act, racial disparities continue in
access to health services and health outcomes. African-Americans, for
example, have shorter life expectancies, higher infant mortality rates, and
higher rates of chronic illness, such as higher blood pressure, that can lead
to strokes and diabetes than whites. Overall racial discrimination
significantly contributes to stress and other adverse health factors.