A 62-year-old Black woman shared her experiences with health injustices. She pays monthly premiums for private health insurance through her employer.
She shared that she has, as well as her friends and family, have felt racially discriminated against while receiving healthcare. In her community, she’s noticed that healthcare is very expensive, many cannot afford coverage, and that there aren’t enough healthcare providers who accept her insurance.
The woman lives near the Bordeaux landfill and shared that she has had health problems because of the environmental toxins that it creates. She said, “It is releasing polluted air consisting of a foul odor that penetrates through car windows on Briley Parkway. This polluted air is released on a recurring basis throughout the year.”
She wants to tell politicians that, “There was a study conducted several years ago as to why Black people might have developed high blood pressure in large numbers and it was concluded, in part, that some of the health disparities (such as obesity and high blood pressure) could be attributed to the continued prevalence of racism, police brutality, unfair voting practices, and poor housing conditions. When violence is witnessed by the young and the elderly in the Black community, it takes a toll on us, mentally and physically.”