“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”
-Letter from the Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King Jr.
This is what we know:
- Black infant mortality rates are 2.5x that of their white counterpart
- Doctors are less likely to prescribe pain medication and appropriate treatment to black patients vs. white patients
- Data suggests physician bias/assumptions that black patients won’t comply with medication changes
- Black men with chest pain wait longer for an initial EKG than white men
- Black women are 2-6x more likely to die from complications during pregnancy than white women
- 80% of acupuncture users are white women. The disparity in access to this method changed only slightly in the last decade.
Our commitment:
Real and lasting change to systematic racism and discrimination demand ongoing and constant vigilance, action and collaboration. We stand committed to anti-racist practices in the medical field.
At Mend, we commit to ongoing learning and introspection on biases in the Integrative Medicine space. Our charge has been, and remains, creating a safe space for all and access to meaningful and compassionate healthcare. If we fall short of this in any way, please contact the owner at any time (sarah@mendacupuncture.com).
Sources on Black Lives data: CDC + NIH
Podcast Recommendation:
Freedom Now with Rachel Ricketts
Kait Hurley interviews Rachel Ricketts (writer, speaker, antiracism educator, and advocate for Womxn of Color) in a discussion on racism and how it shows up in the health and wellness space. From May 12, 2020 on Apple Podcasts.
