Explaining Health Inequities — The Enduring Legacy of Historical Biases

This article examines the historical role of medical journals, particularly The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), in perpetuating racial biases and health inequities. It traces how 19th- and 20th-century medical discourses attributed health disparities between Black, Indigenous, and other marginalized populations to innate racial differences rather than social or environmental factors. The authors critique persistent racialized explanations for diseases like tuberculosis, diabetes, and mental illness, highlighting how these narratives obscured systemic inequities. The article calls for a reckoning with this legacy and advocates for rigorous, equity-focused research to address ongoing health disparities.

This article examines the historical role of medical journals, particularly The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), in perpetuating racial biases and health inequities. It traces how 19th- and 20th-century medical discourses attributed health disparities between Black, Indigenous, and other marginalized populations to innate racial differences rather than social or environmental factors. The authors critique persistent racialized explanations for diseases like tuberculosis, diabetes, and mental illness, highlighting how these narratives obscured systemic inequities. The article calls for a reckoning with this legacy and advocates for rigorous, equity-focused research to address ongoing health disparities.