Under the Skin by Linda Villarosa

The subtitle is The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and the Health of Our Nation. Much like Medical Bondage, which chronicled the history of racism and medical care for black women, starting with enslaved women, this tells the modern side of that story and it isn't a happier story. The bottom line is that people of color, particularly black people, are treated differently the moment they enter the health care system. As a health care provider myself I do not want to think that it is true, but the evidence is there that time and time again if you are black, even if you have money and insurance and education, you will receive inferior health care. Back when I was in medical school in the early 1980's a professor of mine, Anne Fausto-Sterling, beat this drum loud and clear. Women get worse health care than men and women of color get the worst of all. She wanted this taught in every medical school to every student so that they would examine themselves before they examined patients and do better, but this book tells the story of just how much further we have to go.