RACIAL INEQUALITIES HAVE LONG PERMEATED OUR SOCIETY. From the workplace to schools to the justice system, such inequities are complex, deep rooted and difficult to eradicate. They extend to health care as well, where social, economic and political factors produce disparities in who gets what diseases, and inherent individual biases affect quality of care.

“When we look at the leading national health disparities across the board, black men and black women have higher risks for almost every single disease,” says Karen M. Winkfield, Director of Hematologic Radiation Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital.

In a presentation she delivered on Tuesday, April 14, 2015, Winkfield highlights the disproportionate incidence of cancer in African Americans and analyzes the history of medical inequalities dating back to the founding of our country—outlining the powerful impact that racism has had on African American health. She offers tangible and attainable solutions to address these endemic issues.

Watch her full presentation here.