Bookworm Review: Books On Black Health

By Terri Schlichenmeyer

Seven thousand steps.

That’s what researchers say you need each day for optimum health. That’s a little over three miles of walking, stair-climbing, and running, and it’s a lot, but you do what you can to stay healthy, right? So maybe it’s time to check out these great books about health and well-being for African-American readers ..

At some point in the near future, in a month or twelve, you’ll probably need to make your annual appointment with your physician. But what does he or she look like?  In “The Price of Exclusion: The Pursuit of Healthcare in a Segregated Nation” by Nicole Carr (Dey Street, $30), you’ll see why that matters, why America needs more Black doctors, and how the lack could affect your health.

During the pandemic, says Carr, African-American COVID-19 patients died at a much higher rate than did white sufferers. That may come as no surprise, but other information that Carr uncovers might shock you. Systemic racism has been an unfortunate fact throughout the last 170 years in medical facilities and medical schools. Efforts of Black researchers have been ignored, denied, or seized and subsumed by others. Patients have gotten sub-par care. Black doctors have tried to fight back, both for themselves and for their patients; HBCUs and Black institutions offered medical education, but things were still slow to change.

Told alongside the story of her great-grandfather, a physician who worked as a doctor in the early years of the last century, this is a lively, very interesting book, and it’s must-read for anyone who thinks about their health and longevity.

For Black women looking for healthcare, the struggle is different. And more urgent. In “A Terrible Strength: The Hidden Crisis of the Black Womb & Your Survival Guide to Healing” by Kemi Doll, MD, MSCR (Harmony Books, $28.99), you’ll see why.

When Dr. Doll was in medical school, preparing to become a gynecologic cancer surgeon, she saw something unfathomable: even today, in supposedly modern times, racism runs rampant in health care for Black women, from charting to pain control to cancer treatments. It’s especially insidious in gynecology, pregnancy, and other reproductive health issues. 

Doll uses stories to illustrate her points, but this book also includes advice, charts to explore, cautions and things to watch out for, and lots of ways for a Black woman to be her own best advocate. Read this book, take it with you to your next doctor’s visit.

It’s probably true that these books won’t be enough, once you get started on reading the new information available to patients and their loved ones. There are lots of books on shelves that will give you more direction, more advice, and more ways to find the right doctor for you. All you need to do is to head to your favorite bookstore or library and ask for direction. The staff can help you find what you need – and more – so you can stay well.

As for these two great books, take steps to read them soon.