Race and Health

Latest KFF Health News Stories

Black Women Turn to Midwives to Avoid COVID and ‘Feel Cared For’

KFF Health News Original

Midwifery was a tradition among slaves from Africa, but in more recent decades, pregnant Black women have generally shunned the approach. Now, home births and midwives are making a comeback in the Black community.

COVID Vaccine Trials Move at Warp Speed, But Recruiting Black Volunteers Takes Time

KFF Health News Original

The National Institutes of Health has suggested minorities should be overrepresented in COVID-19 vaccine trials — perhaps at rates that are double their percentage of the U.S. population. But efforts to recruit patients from racial minority groups are just beginning, while some trials have already advanced to phase 3.

‘It Seems Systematic’: Doctors Cite 115 Cases of Head Injuries From Crowd Control Devices

KFF Health News Original

In the most comprehensive tally of such injuries to date, the Physicians for Human Rights scoured publicly available data — including social media, news accounts and lawsuits — to document and name victims of summer protests. Still, the group cautions, it’s likely an undercount.

Turning Anger Into Action: Minority Students Analyze COVID Data on Racial Disparities

KFF Health News Original

About 70 college students are enrolled this summer in a program developed by San Francisco researchers and funded by the National Institutes of Health that allows them to explore the pandemic’s impact on communities facing health disparities.

Listen: NPR Interview About Less Lethal Weapons That Can Maim Or Kill

KFF Health News Original

NPR’s Ailsa Chang speaks with Jay Hancock of KHN about an investigation into the use of so-called less-lethal munitions — such as rubber bullets and bean bags — at protests, and why they’ve never been regulated.

Medi-Cal Agency’s New Head Wants to Tackle Disparities and Racism

KFF Health News Original

Will Lightbourne, the new director of the California Department of Health Care Services, says government must address the racial disparities laid bare by COVID-19 and improve care for the state’s most vulnerable residents.

Namaste Noir: Yoga Co-Op Seeks to Diversify Yoga to Heal Racialized Trauma

KFF Health News Original

In dealing with her son’s violent murder, fear over the coronavirus pandemic and the stress of coping with systemic racism, Beverly Grant has found strength and peace through yoga. The Denver native is part of a yoga co-op seeking to bring the ancient practice to more diverse communities as a health care tool.

The Color of COVID: Will Vaccine Trials Reflect America’s Diversity?

KFF Health News Original

Although racial minorities, older people and those with underlying medical conditions are most at risk from COVID-19, they’ve historically been the least likely to be included in clinical trials for treatments for serious diseases. Will that change with COVID-19?