We Are all I’m fairly aware of the racism that reigns in American healthcare, but it’s not always obvious how this and other types of bias continue to permeate all facets of the system. For this reason Kali Hobsona child psychiatrist and content creator, uses her platform to educate people about the nuances of medical racism from an insider’s perspective — and honestly, we needed that.
It can be difficult for medical institutions (and patients) to recognize and come to terms with the racist underpinnings on which much of modern medical knowledge is built. On her platform, Hobson discusses topics such as ableism in hospitals, Prejudices in the diagnosis of eating disordersand the fact that Black children are more likely be unduly withheld in hospitals.
Just this month, for example, the American Medical Association passed a new guideline that discourages doctors from relying so heavily on body mass index. citing concerns it was a racist measure Different body types are not taken into account. The fact that something as basic as BMI is being denounced should be proof that medical racism remains pervasive and that much work still needs to be done.
Research on these issues is critical to proving that bias is a problem. However, when a doctor addresses them in this way, they reach a far wider audience. What’s really radical about her content is the fact that she approaches all of these issues with gentleness, humor and compassion, helping us to envision what a world might be like where doctors respect black and brown patients.
Ultimately, Hobson’s pedagogical content is to dismantle one of the many possibilities Racism is embedded in it American structures that affect our well-being. When we have been deprived of so much knowledge that can harm our communities, reclaiming that knowledge becomes powerful.
in one Current video For example, on her Instagram post, Hobson illustrates how doctors often go to greater lengths to find the cause of a white patient’s discomfort, while at the same time making unfounded assumptions about their black patients that can prevent an accurate diagnosis.
Knowing this is a good starting point for asking for more. It can help black and brown people stand up for themselves, ask more questions, and refuse to accept care that is inferior to that of their white peers. Thanks to creators like Hobson, we can start pushing the needle in the right direction.