This podcast is about how beliefs dating back to slavery can become medical data and lead to misdiagnosis of patients because of the colour of their skin. Five episodes with examples of poorly diagnosed skin disease, pain, mental health, gynaecological problems and breathing conditions, leading to life-threatening events in coloured people. And the examples are recent, still happen because the teaching, the medical textbooks and the ingrained preconceptions are still based on facts that have not even been medically demonstrated. I knew part of this data, but the statistics shown here are alarming.
“The Victorian scientists put as part of their theory that African-Americans had very primitive neurological systems, not as well developed as white. In fact, they thought that white people and black people belonged to different species. And so, this very bizarre belief spread quickly, you could find it in London medical accounts and many doctors would testify to the fact that their black patients didn’t feel pain. They would amputate their legs and patients would hold at themselves and not even flinch”
Five episodes of approximately 1 hour each
Episode 1. Knowledge
Episode 2. Perception
Episode 3. Thought
Episode 4. Birth
Episode 5. Breath