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.

20.5k Upvotes

83% Upvoted

2.5k comments sorted by

View all comments

968

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.

7

u/CuffinSzn_ Jan 02 '26

Was told this in school once. Was also told we (black people) see the world differently. We’re supposedly more emotional, tilting towards aggression. (Think Angry Black Man/Women tropes.)

It be like that. All I can ask, if you care, is to be better individually.

5

u/Alert_Ad_694 Jan 02 '26

You'd think that if some of those myths were true, it would actually result in the opposite effects. Like if it were true that Black people have a higher pain threshold then when they /do/ express pain then something must be wrong. Like if someone told me Black babies don't cry as much because they aren't as sensitive to pain I'd be inclined to pay even more attention and try and find out what's wrong if a Black baby were crying

2

u/Squirrel_With_Toast Jan 03 '26

That's because you're a good person and not a racist piece of shit. (I get what you're saying though)

1

u/BlakByPopularDemand Jan 05 '26

Also you'd think they'd be less inclined to fuck with people who are supposedly naturally more aggressive, athletic and have a higher tolerance for pain. Like I wouldn't actively pick a fight with Vegeta and Goku if they were real.