Tavis Smiley . Special Feature . Road to Health . Guest . Angela Glover Blackwell

Angela Glover Blackwell

Founder and President, Policy Link

Where you live makes a difference. And we can do something through policy to improve the quality of life in neighborhoods that are literally making people sick.

Q: Health disparities disproportionately impact people of color. Will this ever change?

I hope it's gonna change. And I am actually optimistic that it's gonna change. Because the reality that for poor people of color every day it's a struggle to maintain health. Physically, economically, spiritually, health is a huge challenge. But the reason I'm hopeful is that this issue is getting a lot of attention. It's not new, but it's been newly discovered.

Q: Why are people starting to pay attention to health disparities?

Well, one reason is because in 2003, the Institute of Medicine came out with a report called "Unequal Treatment." And not only did this report focus on health disparities, but it came right out and said that race makes a difference, that for racial and ethnic minorities, the reality, historically and current, of discrimination and the impact that that has on health and well-being is something that has to be taken into account.

Q: Why do Latinos who are born in the U.S. often end up having more health challenges and crises than their parents who are immigrants?

What happens is that people come from traditions of community in which the whole community takes the health of the individual into account. People are there with generations of their family, so that aunts and uncles and grandparents are able to help people understand how to remain healthy. People come to this country and they're separated too often from the extended family that often is a source of the information that helps us to stay healthy.

Angela Glover Blackwell is a nationally recognized voice on racial and social equity issues. She's the founder & president of PolicyLink, a national nonprofit focused on the community building movement, including the elimination of racial health disparities.

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Healthy People 2010 challenges us to take specific steps to ensure that good health, as well as long life, are enjoyed by all.

The Joint Center Health Policy Institute's goal is to help communities of color identify short and long term policy objectives and related activities.

PolicyLink proposes principles, strategies and policies to improve the impacts that neighborhoods and communities have on their residents' health.

Published: September 15, 2005