Abstract
What is the historical background of disparities in healthcare delivery and how did these disparities evolve? The history goes back to slavery, where what Byrd and Clayton have termed the slave health deficit originated and was nourished. In this chapter, the concept that slavery gave rise to a racist system of healthcare delivery is explored, and the observation that this system is still operative is documented by several pointed examples. The historical spectrum includes examples from ancient times to the present, from the inception of slavery through emancipation, Reconstruction, the Civil Rights era, and other periods and demonstrates heavy medical, legal, sociological, and religious involvement in shaping the current picture of healthcare disparities.
R.A. Williams
Clinical Professor of Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine, President/CEO, The Minority Health Institute, Inc., Founder, The Association of Black Cardiologists, Inc., Chairman of the Board, Emeritus Institute for the Advancement of Multicultural and Minority Medicine, Washington, DC, USA
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Williams, R.A. (2011). Historical Perspectives of Healthcare Disparities: Is the Past Prologue?. In: Williams, R. (eds) Healthcare Disparities at the Crossroads with Healthcare Reform. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7136-4_2
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