How racism makes us sick | David R. Williams

Translator: Héctor Pardo Álvarez Reviewer: Serv. de Norm. Lingüística U. de Santiago de Compostela

An article in the Yale Alumni Magazine

Un artigo da revista de exalumnos de Yale

told the story of Clyde Murphy,

contaba a historia de Clyde Murphy.

a black man who was a member of the Class of 1970.

Un home negro, membro da promoción de 1970.

Clyde was a success story.

A de Clyde é unha historia de éxito.

After Yale and a law degree from Columbia,

Tras saír de Yale e graduarse en Dereito pola Universidade de Columbia,

Clyde spent the next 30 years

Clyde foi durante os seguintes trinta anos

as one of America's top civil rights lawyers.

un dos mellores avogados de dereitos civís dos Estados Unidos (EE.UU).

He was also a great husband and father.

Tamén foi un gran marido e un gran pai.

But despite his success,

Porén, malia o seu éxito, persoal e profesional,

personally and professionally,

Clyde's story had a sad ending.

a historia de Clyde tivo un triste final.

In 2010,

En 2010,

at the age of 62,

aos 62 anos de idade,

Clyde died from a blood clot in his lung.

Clyde finou a causa dun coágulo de sangue nun pulmón.

Clyde's experience was not unique.

Clyde non foi o único ao que lle aconteceu algo así.

Many of his black classmates from Yale

Moitos dos seus compañeiros negros de Yale tamén morreron novos.

also died young.

In fact, the magazine article indicated

De feito, o artigo da revista indicaba

that 41 years after graduation from Yale,

que 41 anos despois da súa graduación na Universidade de Yale,

the black members of the Class of 1970

os alumnos negros da promoción de 1970

had a death rate that was three times higher

presentaban unha taxa de mortalidade tres veces superior á da media da clase.

than that of the average class member.

It's stunning.

É abraiante.

America has recently awakened

EE.UU acordou recentemente

to a steady drumbeat

ante o balbordo constante dos disparos da policía a homes negros desarmados.

of unarmed black men being shot by the police.

What is even a bigger story

O que é mesmo máis grave

is that every seven minutes,

é que cada sete minutos

a black person dies prematurely in the United States.

unha persoa negra morre de xeito prematuro nos EE.UU.

That is over 200 black people

Isto quere dicir que máis de 200 persoas negras morren cada día

die every single day

who would not die if the health of blacks and whites were equal.

e que non morrerían se negros e brancos tivesen a mesma saúde.

For the last 25 years,

Durante os últimos 25 anos, entregueime á misión

I have been on a mission

to understand why does race

de entender por que a raza ten tanta transcendencia para a saúde.

matter so profoundly for health.

When I started my career,

Cando comecei a miña carreira,

many believed that it was simply about racial differences

moitos crían que se trataba simplemente de diferenzas raciais en renda e educación

in income and education.

I discovered that while economic status matters for health,

Descubrín que, se ben o estatus económico é importante para a saúde,

there is more to the story.

a historia non remata aí.

So for example, if we look at life expectancy at age 25,

Se, por exemplo, observamos a esperanza de vida aos 25 anos,

at age 25 there's a five-year gap between blacks and whites.

aos 25 anos de idade, hai unha fenda de cinco anos entre negros e brancos,

And the gap by education for both whites and blacks

mais a fenda por nivel de educación tanto en brancos como negros

is even larger than the racial gap.

é mesmo maior que a racial.

At the same time, at every level of education,

Porén, ao mesmo tempo, en tódolos niveis educativos,

whites live longer than blacks.

os brancos viven máis tempo que os negros.

So whites who are high school dropouts

Entón, os brancos que abandonan o instituto

live 3.4 years longer than their black counterparts,

viven 3,4 anos máis de media que os seus homólogos negros.

and the gap is even larger

A fenda é aínda maior entre os graduados universitarios.

among college graduates.

Most surprising of all,

Pero o máis sorprendente é que os brancos que rematan a secundaria

whites who have graduated from high school

live longer than blacks with a college degree

viven máis tempo que os negros licenciados ou con educación superior.

or more education.

So why does race matter so profoundly for health?

Así que, por que a raza resulta tan transcendental para a saúde?

What else is it beyond education and income

Que pode haber alén do nivel de formación e a renda que importe tanto?

that might matter?

In the early 1990s,

Ao comezo da década dos noventa, encargáronme a recensión dun novo libro

I was asked to review a new book

on the health of black America.

sobre a saúde da poboación negra dos EE.UU.

I was struck that almost every single one

Abraioume o feito de que case cada un dos seus 25 capítulos

of its 25 chapters

said that racism

dixese que o racismo era un factor que estaba a afectar a saúde dos negros.

was a factor that was hurting the health of blacks.

All of these researchers

Todos os investigadores participantes

were stating that racism was a factor adversely impacting blacks,

afirmaban que o racismo era un factor que afectaba negativamente os negros

but they provided no evidence.

mais non achegaban ningunha proba.

For me, that was not good enough.

Para min, aquilo non era bo dabondo.

A few months later,

Algúns meses despois, participei nun congreso en Washington DC

I was speaking at a conference in Washington, DC,

and I said that one of the priorities for research

e dixen que unha das prioridades da investigación

was to document the ways in which racism affected health.

debía ser documentar de que maneiras afectaba o racismo a saúde.

A white gentleman stood in the audience

Un señor branco ergueuse de entre o público

and said that while he agreed with me that racism was important,

e dixo que, se ben coincidía comigo en sinalar a importancia do racismo,

we could never measure racism.

nunca poderíamos medilo.

"We measure self-esteem," I said.

"Medimos a autoestima", díxenlle.

"There's no reason

Non hai razón para non podermos medir o racismo, se nos poñemos mans á obra.

why we can't measure racism if we put our minds to it."

And so I put my mind to it

Así que me puxen mans á obra e desenvolvín tres escalas.

and developed three scales.

The first one captured major experiences of discrimination,

A primeira recolle experiencias graves de discriminación,

like being unfairly fired or being unfairly stopped by the police.

como ser inxustamente despedido ou ser inxustamente detido pola policía.

But discrimination also occurs in more minor and subtle experiences,

Con todo, a discriminación preséntase en situacións máis correntes e sutís

and so my second scale, called the Everyday Discrimination Scale,

e, así, a miña segunda escala, chamada "Escala de Discriminación Cotiá",

captures nine items

recolle nove elementos que reflicten experiencias

that captures experiences

like you're treated with less courtesy than others,

como ser tratado con menos cortesía que outros,

you receive poorer service than others in restaurants or stores,

recibir un peor servizo en tendas e restaurantes

or people act as if they're afraid of you.

ou ver como a xente actúa como se tivese medo de ti.

This scale captures

Esta escala captura algunhas das formas polas que a dignidade e o respecto

ways in which the dignity and the respect

of people who society does not value

dunhas persoas que a sociedade non valora, vai minguando día a día.

is chipped away on a daily basis.

Research has found

A investigación revela

that higher levels of discrimination

que os niveis máis elevados de discriminación

are associated with an elevated risk of a broad range of diseases

correlacionan cun alto risco de padecer un amplo abano de doenzas,

from blood pressure to abdominal obesity

dende hipertensión a obesidade abdominal,

to breast cancer to heart disease

pasando por cancro de mama, doenzas cardíacas

and even premature mortality.

e incluso mortalidade prematura.

Strikingly, some of the effects are observed at a very young age.

Sorprendentemente, algúns dos efectos obsérvanse en persoas moi novas.

For example, a study of black teens

Por exemplo, un estudo realizado con adolescentes negros,

found that those who reported higher levels of discrimination as teenagers

revelou que os que aducían altos niveis de discriminación na adolescencia

had higher levels of stress hormones,

presentaban un nivel elevado de hormonas do estrés,

of blood pressure

de presión arterial e de peso aos 20 anos de idade.

and of weight at age 20.

However,

Porén,

the stress of discrimination

o estrés causado pola discriminación é apenas un aspecto.

is only one aspect.

Discrimination and racism

A discriminación e o racismo inciden de moitas outras maneiras na saúde.

also matters in other profound ways for health.

For example, there's discrimination in medical care.

Por exemplo, existe discriminación na atención sanitaria.

In 1999, the National Academy of Medicine

En 1999, a Academia Nacional de Medicina dos EE.UU.

asked me to serve on a committee

convidoume a tomar parte nunha comisión

that found, concluded based on the scientific evidence,

que concluíu, baseándose en probas científicas,

that blacks and other minorities

que os negros e outras minorías

receive poorer quality care than whites.

reciben unha atención de peor calidade que os brancos.

This was true for all kinds of medical treatment,

Isto acontece con calquera tipo de tratamento médico,

from the most simple

dende o máis simple ao máis sofisticado tecnoloxicamente.

to the most technologically sophisticated.

One explanation for this pattern

Unha posible explicación a este patrón

was a phenomenon that's called "implicit bias"

podería ser o fenómeno coñecido como "prexuízo implícito"

or "unconscious discrimination."

ou "discriminación inconsciente".

Research for decades by social psychologists

Segundo as investigacións dos psicólogos sociais,

indicates that if you hold a negative stereotype

se unha persoa ten un estereotipo negativo sobre un grupo no seu subconsciente

about a group in your subconscious mind

and you meet someone from that group,

ao coñecer alguén dese grupo, discriminará esa persoa.

you will discriminate against that person.

You will treat them differently.

Tratarao de maneira diferente.

It's an unconscious process. It's an automatic process.

É un proceso inconsciente, un proceso automático.

It is a subtle process, but it's normal

É un proceso sutil, mais é normal

and it occurs even among the most well-intentioned individuals.

e acontécelles mesmo ás persoas con mellores intencións.

But the deeper that I delved

Pero canto máis afondaba no impacto do racismo na saúde,

into the health impact of racism,

the more insidious the effects became.

máis perniciosos se tornaban os seus efectos.

There is institutional discrimination,

Existe discriminación institucional,

which refers to discrimination

é dicir, discriminación

that exists in the processes of social institutions.

que se dá nos procesos propios das institucións sociais.

Residential segregation by race,

A segregación residencial por razas,

which has led to blacks and whites living in very different neighborhood contexts,

que se traduce en negros e brancos vivindo en barrios moi diferenciados,

is a classic example of institutional racism.

é un exemplo clásico de racismo institucional.

One of America's best-kept secrets

Un dos segredos mellor gardados dos Estados Unidos

is how residential segregation

é o de que a segregación residencial é a fonte secreta

is the secret source

that creates racial inequality in the United States.

da desigualdade racial do país.

In America, where you live

Nos Estados Unidos, o lugar no que un vive

determines your access to opportunities

determina o seu acceso a oportunidades

in education, in employment,

in housing and even in access to medical care.

e incluso en acceso a atención sanitaria.

One study of the 171 largest cities in the United States

Un estudo realizado nas 171 meirandes cidades dos Estados Unidos

concluded that there is not even one city

concluíu que nin nunha soa destas cidades

where whites live under equal conditions to blacks,

os brancos viven nas mesmas condicións que os negros

and that the worst urban contexts in which whites reside

e que os peores contextos residenciais dos brancos

is considerably better than the average context of black communities.

son considerablemente mellores que o contexto medio das comunidades negras.

Another study found

Outro estudo probou

that if you could eliminate statistically

que se conseguísemos eliminar estatisticamente a segregación residencial

residential segregation,

you would completely erase black-white differences in income,

erradicaríamos por completo as diferenzas raciais en renda, educación e desemprego

education and unemployment,

and reduce black-white differences in single motherhood

e que reduciríamos a fenda racial en número de familias monoparentais

by two thirds,

en dúas terceiras partes.

all of that driven by segregation.

E todo iso é ocasionado pola segregación.

I have also learned

Aprendín tamén como os estereotipos negativos

how the negative stereotypes

and images of blacks in our culture

e a imaxe dos negros na cultura estadounidense

literally create and sustain

literalmente orixinan e perpetúan

both institutional and individual discrimination.

tanto a discriminación institucional como a individual.

A group of researchers have put together a database

Un grupo de investigadores reuniu nunha base de datos

that contains the books,

todos os libros, revistas e artigos

magazines and articles

that an average college-educated American would read over their lifetime.

que un estadounidense medio con formación universitaria le durante toda a súa vida.

It allows us to look within this database

Isto permítenos ollar para esta base de datos

and see how Americans have seen words paired together

e comprobar como os estadounidenses van vendo certas palabras emparelladas

as they grow up in their society.

a medida que van medrando na súa sociedade

So when the word "black" appears in American culture,

Así, cando aparece a palabra "negro" na cultura estadounidense,

what co-occurs with it?

de que vai acompañada?

"Poor,"

"Pobre",

"violent,"

"violento",

"religious,"

"relixioso",

"lazy,"

"preguiceiro",

"cheerful,"

"alegre",

"dangerous."

"perigoso".

When "white" occurs,

Cando aparece "branco",

the frequently co-occurring words

as palabras frecuentemente emparelladas son

are "wealthy,"

"rico",

"progressive,"

"progresista",

"conventional,"

"convencional"

"stubborn,"

"perseverante",

"successful,"

"exitoso"

"educated."

"culto".

So when a police officer

Entón, cando un policía

overreacts when he sees an unarmed black male

sobreactúa ao ver un home negro desarmado

and perceives him to be violent and dangerous,

e o percibe como violento e perigoso,

we are not necessarily dealing with an inherently bad cop.

non temos necesariamente por que estar a tratar cun policía intrinsecamente malo.

We may be simply viewing

Pode que simplemente esteamos a ver un estadounidense normal

a normal American

who is reflecting what he has been exposed to

actuando como reflexo daquilo ao que estivo exposto

as a result of being raised

como resultado de medrar nesta sociedade.

in this society.

From my own experience,

Na miña experiencia persoal,

I believe that your race

creo que a raza non ten por que determinar o destino dunha persoa.

does not have to be a determinant of your destiny.

I migrated to the United States

Eu emigrei aos Estados Unidos dende a illa caribeña de Santa Lucía,

from the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia

in the late 1970s

a finais dos setenta

in pursuit of higher education,

na procura dunha educación superior.

and in the last 40 years,

E nos últimos 40 anos foime ben.

I have done well.

I have had a supportive family,

Tiven unha familia que me apoiou,

I have worked hard,

traballei arreo.

I have done well.

Foime ben.

But it took more for me to be successful.

Pero costoume máis prosperar.

I received a minority fellowship from the University of Michigan.

Fun beneficiario dunha bolsa para minorías da Universidade de Michigan.

Yes. I am an affirmative action baby.

Si, son fillo da discriminación positiva.

Without affirmative action,

Sen discriminación positiva, non estaría aquí.

I would not be here.

But in the last 40 years,

Pero nos últimos 40 anos,

black America has been less successful than I have.

a comunidade negra dos Estados Unidos non tivo tanto éxito.

In 1978, black households in the United States

En 1978, as familias negras dos Estados Unidos

earned 59 cents for every dollar of income whites earned.

gañaban 59 céntimos por cada dólar de salario dos brancos.

In 2015,

En 2015, as familias negras aínda gañan 59 céntimos

black families still earn 59 cents

for every dollar of income that white families receive,

por cada dólar de salario percibido polas familias brancas.

and the racial gaps in wealth are even more stunning.

A fenda racial no relativo á riqueza é mesmo máis escandalosa.

For every dollar of wealth that whites have,

Por cada dólar de riqueza dos brancos,

black families have six pennies and Latinos have seven pennies.

as familias negras suman seis centavos e os latinos, sete.

The fact is,

É un feito que o racismo

racism

is producing a truly rigged system

está a xerar un sistema totalmente corrupto

that is systematically disadvantaging some racial groups in the United States.

que sistematicamente desfavorece certos grupos raciais nos Estados Unidos.

To paraphrase Plato,

Citando a Platón,

there is nothing so unfair

non hai nada máis inxusto

as the equal treatment of unequal people.

que tratar igual aos que son diferentes.

And that's why I am committed

Por iso estou comprometido co traballo para erradicar o racismo.

to working to dismantle racism.

I deeply appreciate the fact

Valoro profundamente o feito de me erguer sobre os ombreiros

that I am standing on the shoulders

of those who have sacrificed even their lives to open the doors

daqueles que sacrificaron ata as súas vidas

para abrir as portas que eu puiden atravesar.

that I have walked through.

I want to ensure that those doors remain open

Quero asegurarme de que esas portas fiquen abertas

and that everyone can walk through those doors.

e de que calquera poida atravesalas.

Robert Kennedy said,

Robert Kennedy dixo,

"Each time a man" -- or woman, I would add --

"Cada vez que un home –ou muller, engadiría eu–

"stands up for an ideal

loita por unha idea, actúa para mellorar a vida dos outros,

or acts to improve the lot of others

or strikes out against injustice,

ou se ergue contra as inxustizas,

he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope,

envía unha pequena onda de esperanza,

and those ripples can build a current

e esas ondas poden crear unha corrente,

that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance."

capaz de derrubar os máis poderosos muros da opresión e resistencia.

I am optimistic today

Hoxe son optimista,

because all across America,

pois ao longo de todo Estados Unidos

I have seen ripples of hope.

albisquei ondas de esperanza.

The Boston Medical Center

O Centro Médico de Boston

has added lawyers to the medical team

vén de engadir avogados ao seu equipo médico

so that physicians can improve the health of their patients

para os facultativos poderen mellorar a saúde dos seus pacientes,

because the lawyers are addressing the nonmedical needs their patients have.

ao encargárense os avogados

das necesidades extrasanitarias dos pacientes.

Loma Linda University has built a gateway college

A Universidade de Loma Linda (California),

construíu un centro pasarela (Gateway College), preto de San Bernardino

in nearby San Bernardino

so that in addition to delivering medical care,

para ademais de prestar atención sanitaria,

they can provide job skills

poder achegar competencias laborais e formación laboral

and job training

to a predominantly minority, low-income community members

a unha maioría predominante de individuos con baixos ingresos,

so that they will have the skills they need to get a decent job.

para estes poderen obter as competencias necesarias para achar un traballo decente.

In Chapel Hill, North Carolina,

En Chapel Hill, Carolina do Norte,

the Abecedarian Project has figured out

o Proxecto Abecedarian atopou

how to ensure that they have lowered the risks for heart disease

o xeito de garantir a redución do risco de doenzas cardíacas

for blacks in their mid-30s

entre negros que andan pola trintena,

by providing high-quality day care

ofrecendo un coidado diario de calidade desde o nacemento ata os cinco anos.

from birth to age five.

In after-school centers across the United States,

En centros extraescolares de todo Estados Unidos

Wintley Phipps and the US Dream Academy

Wintley Philips e a US Dream Academy

is breaking the cycle of incarceration

están a romper o círculo de encarceramento

by providing high-quality academic enrichment and mentoring

proporcionando formación e orientación académica de alta calidade

to the children of prisoners

a fillos de reclusos e nenos con atraso escolar.

and children who have fallen behind in school.

In Huntsville, Alabama,

En Huntsville, Alabama,

Oakwood University,

a Universidade de Oakwood, unha institución historicamente negra,

a historically black institution,

is showing how we can improve the health of black adults

está a amosarnos como mellorar a saúde dos adultos negros,

by including a health evaluation

incluíndo un exame médico como parte da orientación aos novos alumnos,

as a part of freshman orientation

and giving those students the tools they need

fornecéndolles a eses alumnos as ferramentas necesarias

to make healthy choices

para elixir opcións saudábeis

and providing them annually a health transcript

e fornecéndolles anualmente un historial médico

so they can monitor their progress.

para poderen supervisar os seus progresos.

And in Atlanta, Georgia,

E en Atlanta, Georgia,

Purpose Built Communities has dismantled the negative effects of segregation

a ONL Purpose Built Communities erradicou os efectos negativos da segregación,

by transforming a crime-ridden,

convertendo un proxecto de vivenda social asolagado polo crime e anegado pola droga

drug-infested public housing project

into an oasis of mixed-income housing,

nun oasis de vivendas de ingresos mixtos,

of academic performance,

de rendemento académico,

of great community wellness

de benestar comunitario e de pleno emprego.

and of full employment.

And finally,

E finalmente,

there is the Devine solution.

chegamos á solución Devine.

Professor Patricia Devine

A profesora Patricia Devine,

of the University of Wisconsin

da Universidade de Wisconsin

has shown us how we can attack

amosounos como combater de raíz

our hidden biases head on

and effectively reduce them.

Each one of us

Cada un de nos pode supoñer unha onda de esperanza.

can be a ripple of hope.

This work will not always be easy,

Este traballo non será sempre doado

but former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall

pero o antigo xuíz da Corte Suprema, Thurgood Marshall, xa o dixo:

has told us, "We must dissent.

"Debemos discrepar.

We must dissent from the indifference.

Debemos discrepar da indiferenza.

We must dissent from the apathy.

Debemos discrepar da apatía.

We must dissent from the hatred and from the mistrust.

Debemos discrepar do odio e da desconfianza.

We must dissent

Debemos discrepar,

because America can do better,

porque Estados Unidos pode facelo mellor.

because America has no choice but to do better."

Porque a Estados Unidos non lle queda outra que facelo mellor".

Thank you.

Grazas.

(Applause)

(Aplausos)