The Color of Health: The Devastating Toll of Racism on Black Lives

The Color of Health: The Devastating Toll of Racism on Black Lives does just that. The report connects the dots between the 67% higher premature mortality rate for African Americans in Rochester and the Finger Lakes and the upstream social constraints Black residents are forced to navigate.

Marrying health data with insights from experts and lived experiences, the report documents how racism, whether deliberate or unintentional, undermines physical and mental wellbeing. It shows how biased practices limit access to well-paying jobs, safe neighborhoods, nutritious food and health care; how segregated neighborhoods and schools limit opportunities that are foundational to a child's future wealth and health; and how chronic exposure to racism has a weathering effect on the mind and body.