The first victims of the country’s opioid epidemic were predominantly white, living in rural communities devastated by prescription painkiller addiction. With doctors less likely to prescribe adequate pain medication to Black patients, racism protected Black Americans from the first wave of opioid deaths. Now, the face of the epidemic has changed. New federal data points […]
Margo Snipe
Margo Snipe was a health reporter at Capital B. Twitter @margoasnipe
Posted inHealth
Why Gun Violence Is a Public Health Crisis
The stray bullet that ripped through Greg Jackson’s leg as he walked home in Washington, D.C., struck two arteries. The 2013 incident, which led to a 21-day hospital stay and a six-month recovery, began with law enforcement by his bedside in the emergency room. “I was questioned and interrogated before I even met my nurse […]
Posted inHealth
STD Rates Are on the Rise. Are Black Communities More Open To Talking About Them?
Most people refused to talk to Shirlene Lightsey Manuel when she first appeared on their church steps a couple of years ago. The pastors, first ladies and deaconesses didn’t want to talk about HIV, the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS. They would tell her the disease wasn’t a problem in their congregations. But statistics […]
Posted inHealth, Reproductive Health
How Overturning Abortion Rights Affects Black Women
This story has been updated. In a historic reversal, the U.S. Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade, a decision that will limit abortion access in many states and potentially exacerbate racial disparities in maternal health. The impacts will fall disproportionately on Black people, who receive about a third of abortions nationwide. The opinion, released […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Gun Violence
The Reading List: How Black Buffalo Became the Target of White Supremacist Hate
The Tops grocery store where a gunman killed 10 people this month is now the site of one of the deadliest acts of racial violence in recent United States history. The rampage targeted a Black neighborhood in Buffalo, New York, that has suffered generations of segregation, pollution, and neglect. The 18-year-old charged in the shooting […]
Posted inCulture, History
‘Don’t Forget About Us’: Generations of Neglect Preceded Attack on Black Buffalo
BUFFALO, N.Y. — One of this city’s main thoroughfares is crossed by a prominent, white archway marked with large black letters: “African American Heritage Corridor.” Michigan Avenue is home to historic buildings and stained-glass chapels, but the most important one sits beside the arch: a 177-year-old, red-brick church, memorialized as the last stop of the […]
Posted inHealth, Health Equity
What the National Shortage of Baby Formula Means for Black Families
As worried parents across the country scramble to secure formula for their babies amid a nationwide shortage, Black parents, who are less likely to breastfeed, might be bearing the weight of the panic disproportionately. In recent weeks, stores across the country have been scrambling to keep up with demand for baby formula, pushing some retailers […]
Posted inHealth, Health Equity
What Happens After Your Town Declares Racism a Public Health Crisis?
When Milwaukee County became the first jurisdiction to declare racism a public health crisis in 2019, it had among the worst health outcomes in Wisconsin. It was also one of the most segregated areas of the country, with a high Black mortality rate. The county’s Office on African American Affairs and Wisconsin’s Public Health Association […]
Posted inHealth, Reproductive Health
The Fight Over Abortion Rights Is a Black Issue
Maternal health care advocates raised alarm Tuesday after a leaked U.S. Supreme Court opinion suggested that the nation’s highest court is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, a decision that would limit abortion access nationwide and could exacerbate racial disparities in births. Chief Justice John Roberts confirmed the authenticity of the leaked opinion, published Monday […]
Posted inHealth, Health Equity
Menthol Cigarette Ban Receives Pushback from Some Racial Justice Advocates
This story has been updated. The Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday rules for a proposed nationwide ban on the sale of menthol cigarettes, a move that has significant implications for Black communities, which disproportionately smoke menthol products. Public health experts lauded the FDA’s announcement, saying it will significantly reduce tobacco-related health diseases and death. […]