Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
JesuiticalJune 19, 2020
A health care worker in New York City wheels a patient into the Wyckoff Heights Medical Center April 6, 2020, during the coronavirus pandemic. (CNS photo/Brendan Mcdermid, Reuters)

If you are paying attention to the news these days, you have probably heard the term “systemic racism” used to describe the conditions in this country that made something as horrific as the killing of George Floyd by a police officer in broad daylight possible. The disproportionate impact of the coronavirus on people of color has also been talked about as an issue of “systemic racism.” But what exactly does that mean? How does it play out in different parts of American society and in individual lives? How do history, individual prejudices, government policy and social arrangement conspire to devalue the lives of some Americans?

This week, we explore those questions through a specific lens: health care. Sarah Kureshi is a doctor of family medicine who teaches a course at Georgetown University on racial bias in the health care system. We ask Dr. Kureshi about the root causes of health inequalities, what the medical community is doing to root out racism and what the coronavirus pandemic has revealed about what and who this country considers essential.

In Signs of the Times, we discuss the Supreme Court’s decision to extend discrimination protections to L.G.B.T. workers and how the Catholic media should cover Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò’s conspiratorial letter to Donald J. Trump.

Tell us what you thought about today’s show on Jesuitical’s Facebook page. And if Jesuitical has been an important source of information or nourishment for you during these trying times, please consider becoming a member of our Patreon community. We can’t make the show without your support. Thank you.

Links from the show

Supreme Court says federal law protects L.G.B.T. workers from discrimination
President Trump tweeted about Archbishop Viganò. So, who is he?
Archbishop Viganò is aligning with Trump to stay in the spotlight. Pay him no attention.
Inside the Vatican Podcast: Why is the Vatican silent on Archbishop Viganò?

What’s on tap?

Aperol Spritz

We don’t have comments turned on everywhere anymore. We have recently relaunched the commenting experience at America and are aiming for a more focused commenting experience with better moderation by opening comments on a select number of articles each day.

But we still want your feedback. You can join the conversation about this article with us in social media on Twitter or Facebook, or in one of our Facebook discussion groups for various topics.

Or send us feedback on this article with one of the options below:

We welcome and read all letters to the editor but, due to the volume received, cannot guarantee a response.

In order to be considered for publication, letters should be brief (around 200 words or less) and include the author’s name and geographic location. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.

We open comments only on select articles so that we can provide a focused and well-moderated discussion on interesting topics. If you think this article provides the opportunity for such a discussion, please let us know what you'd like to talk about, or what interesting question you think readers might want to respond to.

If we decide to open comments on this article, we will email you to let you know.

If you have a message for the author, we will do our best to pass it along. Note that if the article is from a wire service such as Catholic News Service, Religion News Service, or the Associated Press, we will not have direct contact information for the author. We cannot guarantee a response from any author.

We welcome any information that will help us improve the factual accuracy of this piece. Thank you.

Please consult our Contact Us page for other options to reach us.

City and state/province, or if outside Canada or the U.S., city and country. 
When you click submit, this article page will reload. You should see a message at the top of the reloaded page confirming that your feedback has been received.

The latest from america

As I sit sore and tired, I cannot also help but think that the N.Y.C. Marathon for me is a thin space, a space where I can easily see God’s presence in the world.
Robert McCarthyNovember 04, 2024
Archbishop Domenico Battaglia of Naples has been named as one of the prelates Pope Francis will make a cardinal on December 7th.
“I will not vote for president this year,” Monica Brent writes. “I cannot in good conscience vote for Donald Trump, for many reasons. However, Kamala Harris’s stance on abortion makes her a no-go for me, as well. ”
Our readersNovember 04, 2024
Pope Francis, your encyclical on the Sacred Heart, “Dilexit Nos,” is beautiful and heartwarming. And for Catholics in the United States, the timing was perfect.
Joe Laramie, S.J.November 04, 2024