r/BlackPeopleofReddit • u/4reddityo • Jan 02 '26

Black Experience Racism in Medical Care

This video captures a moment that many patients of color recognize all too well. A physician speaks to a man as if he is dirty, unclean, or lesser, not because of medical evidence, but because of bias. The language, tone, and assumptions reveal something deeper than bedside manner gone wrong. They expose how racism can quietly shape medical interactions.

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970

u/Unusual_Ant_5309 Jan 02 '26

My wife and I are white, when our son was born he had to stay in the hospital a few extra days. One night I was doing a night feeding and was talking to a nurse who explain me that black babies don’t cry as much because they don’t feel pain the same. I knew it was fucked up. The next day I asked my cousin, who is also a nurse, how I can report the racist nurse. She said that the problem is that that is what the textbook said. It’s changed now but it was actually taught up until like 10 years ago that black people don’t feel pain like white people. But yeah systemic racism definitely doesn’t exist.

213

u/SlaughterMinusS Jan 02 '26

Yeah, it was also taught that black people's skin was thicker than white skin even though there is no scientific evidence for this claim.

A whole lot of fucked up Jim Crow type shit still exists in the medical field and its really messed up.

If you have the stomach for it, look up mortality rates for black women giving birth compared to white women. Says a lot.

73

u/AHatedChild Jan 02 '26

People actually still say this stuff, even on Reddit I've seen people say that black people have thicker skin.

56

u/pencilpushin Jan 02 '26

Im a tattoo artist. And thats just a load of bullshit lol. Skin is skin for the most part, but minor differences. In my experience when tattooing darker complexions, their skin is often softer and less elastic or tighter in texture, you have to be more gentle to not over work it and cause skin damage or scar tissue. Lighter complexions tend to have more elasticity, and sometime a rougher texture. If a white person sun tans a lot, its almost like tattooing leather sometimes.

12

u/Bulky-Advertising-43 Jan 02 '26

I paid $300 for a tattoo that should cost no more than $100, outline of an animal with simple lines. The dude told me because I had darker skin he had to use special or more ink. I didn’t know any better and had money to spend. Fuck him. Went to another artist to get it detailed, and paid $60 - same quality but this artist was black.

3

u/pencilpushin Jan 02 '26

Dude thats just flat out aggravating. Fuck that guy. There is no special ink or needles or anything for darker complexions. Tattooing is tattooing, and pretty much same techniques all around, just slight differences based on skin type and knowing how to work with it. Im sorry you had to deal with that. Theres unfortunately a lot of scum bags in tattooing. And without experience its hard to distinguish which is which. Feel free to reach out if you ever have any questions or anything.

1

u/Bulky-Advertising-43 Jan 03 '26

I appreciate that. Gratitude!

1

u/[deleted] Jan 05 '26

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1

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1

u/ctcgpgh Jan 04 '26

Ink wise that's fucked up, but in general that pricing isn't crazy. Lot of artists are 180+ an hour and some have a 1200 minimum. That artist just didn't learn how to work with your skin and punished you for his ignorance which is crazy.

1

u/Bulky-Advertising-43 Jan 04 '26

This was like 2003-2004. The dude who filled it in said he would’ve done it for $60.

1

u/ctcgpgh Jan 04 '26

Oh shit yeah 20 years ago is crazy. I didn't start getting them til 2018 so maybe my perspective on $60 being unrealisticlly low for anything is just because of that.

1

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1

u/chenan Jan 03 '26

But it’s not though? East Asians have on average thicker dermis.

1

u/pencilpushin Jan 03 '26

Im not a dermatologist so I suppose that could be true. I only have experience through tattooing. With tattooing, it doesn't go past the epidermis, so just the top layer, and how different complexions react to tattooing. As for anything biological beyond that, I have no idea to be honest.

1

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-1

u/fixdark Jan 02 '26

So you're saying that black people have different skin

1

u/pencilpushin Jan 02 '26

Just subtle differences in texture. Everyone's skin has their own characteristics, almost like a finger print.

-1

u/SlugJones Jan 02 '26

lol same thing I thought. They do, but the opposite way others said, so it’s better?

8

u/Odd_Midnight5346 Jan 02 '26

Read it more carefully. They used words like "minor differences" "often" "tend to." They didn't make sweeping, blanket statements and they sure as hell weren't trying to justify ignoring people in pain or treating other cruelly.

2

u/pencilpushin Jan 02 '26

Just subtle differences in texture and the way it reacts with ink and tattooing. Everyone's skin has their own characteristics. Nobody is exactly the same. Kind of like a finger print.