In online conversations with survivors of the coronavirus (COVID-19), Christy DeGallerie noticed a trend in the many stories of medical treatment: many of her white peers received a superior standard of care. They received medications she’d never heard of, were offered X-rays and other diagnostic options, and found that their doctors listened to them and generally addressed their concerns.

That wasn’t DeGallerie’s experience when she contracted the virus. At a New York emergency room, she asked for a COVID-19 test, and a nurse told her that she didn’t have a fever. Only at the urging of a doctor of color did the nurse check again, where she discovered a 101-degree temperature.

In response, DeGallerie started a group for Black survivors of coronavirus. DeGallerie said, “We know our pain is questioned and our pain is not real to them. Getting medical help shouldn’t be discouraging for anyone. It is a discouraging place for Black people.”

The American Public Health Association called racism an ongoing public health crisis, saying that it’s “a longstanding systemic structure in this country that must be dismantled, through brutally honest conversations, policy changes and practices.”

A statement on the APHA website reads, “Americans cannot be silent about this. As Martin Luther King, Jr. observed, ‘The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.’ We refuse to be silent, and we call for you to join us in our advocacy for a healthier nation. At the APHA, every moment of our waking hours is poured into finding better, more healthful lives for all, so everyone has a chance to breathe.”

Possible Preaching Angles:

Since all people are made in God’s image, all of God’s people should be able to have equal access to medical care that allows them to thrive and be a blessing to their community.