Health disparities between Black and white Americans run deep in the U.S. Black people are more likely to suffer from chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, or asthma, and their life expectancy is shorter than that of their white peers. The causes for these inequities are far-reaching and include bias and systemic racism in health care and medical treatments, lack of access to care, and economic differences. Advocates, researchers, and health systems have been looking for ways to address these issues — chipping away at different aspects of the problem. On this episode, we’ll look at several different solutions — and meet the people who are pushing for more equitable health care for all.

Also heard on this week’s episode:

• Journalist and author Linda Villarosa recounts how her approaches to Black health have changed over the course of her career. She started off writing lots of self help pieces, thinking that information would change outcomes, but has come to understand that the issues go far beyond that.
• Med student Joel Bervell talks about his mission to educate both health care providers and patients about biases that are affecting care. His viral TikTok videos reach thousands of viewers, and some of his fans have called them “life-saving.”