This issue of Brigham Health is inspired by the words of many creators, thinkers, and teachers advancing racial justice in medicine and society. We invite you to continue learning and recommend the following selection of resources.
Read
BIASED: UNCOVERING THE HIDDEN PREJUDICE THAT SHAPES WHAT WE SEE, THINK, AND DO
by Jennifer L. Eberhardt, PhD
A psychologist and leading expert on unconscious racial bias offers stories, science, and strategies to help us address a powerful cultural challenge.
Turning the Page on Racism
Have you read a book, article, or poem that made you see race and society in a new light?
BOSTON. RACISM. IMAGE. REALITY.
by The Boston Globe Spotlight Team
Powered by hundreds of interviews, this report unpacks Boston’s reputation for racial inequity—with sharp insights into disadvantages faced by the city’s Black community.
CASTE: THE ORIGINS OF OUR DISCONTENTS
by Isabel Wilkerson
This immersive, deeply researched book unearths stories of real people—and entire nations—shaped by a rigid hierarchy of human rankings.
FATAL INVENTION: HOW SCIENCE, POLITICS, AND BIG BUSINESS RE-CREATE RACE IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
by Dorothy Roberts
An enlightening and alarming exploration of the faulty science of biological race, a falsehood that continues to promote inequality.
FOUR HUNDRED SOULS: A COMMUNITY HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICA, 1619-2019
edited by Ibram x. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain
The myriad experiences of being Black in America come alive in historical essays, short stories, poetry, and thought-provoking perspectives by 90 leading writers.
MEDICAL APARTHEID: THE DARK HISTORY OF MEDICAL EXPERIMENTATION ON BLACK AMERICANS FROM COLONIAL TIMES TO THE PRESENT
by Harriet A. Washington
This book exposes the history of unethical, often deadly, medical experiments and treatments of Black people over centuries.
SO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT RACE
by Ijeoma Oluo
Putting knowledge into practice, this guide offers insights and strategies for approaching honest conversations about race and American life.
The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together
by Heather McGhee
A leading economist reveals racism as the common denominator of the nation’s most vexing public problems, and explores the “solidarity dividend,” when people of all races unite for the common good.
Rising Out of Hatred
by Eli Saslow
This story traces the experiences of Derek Black, the son of a prominent white supremacist who founded the largest racist community on the Internet. In college, Black began to question the harmful views he was raised to believe, eventually learning to speak out against white nationalism. (Submitted by Eileen Pierro)
Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival & Hope in an American City
by Andrea Elliott
From a New York Times investigative reporter, this story follows eight years in the life of Dasani, a young girl whose family has had to navigate homelessness, hunger, violence, racism, drug addiction, and foster care. Dasani’s story illuminates the high cost of inequity for American families and youth. (Submitted by Susan Collins)
Look for these and other related titles at a minority-owned bookshop near you.
Watch
FOUR ALLEGORIES ON RACE AND RACISM
A TEDx talk by Camara Phyllis Jones, MD, MPH, PhD
Through relatable storytelling, Jones empowers individuals to take action to reduce racism and its impact on health. Watch now
Other Resources
THE HARVARD IMPLICIT ASSOCIATION TEST
Developed as a research tool, this test measures attitudes, beliefs, and biases people may not be aware they have—often yielding surprising and useful self-knowledge. Take the test
UNITED AGAINST RACISM
Mass General Brigham’s system-wide plan for addressing structural inequity involves all four pillars of its mission—care, research, training, and community health. Read more