When we talk about racial health disparities, we aren’t just talking about people getting sick at different rates. We’re talking about deep-seated inequities that racialized individuals face every time they step into a clinic or hospital. These aren’t accidents; they are systemic barriers that have been embedded into our society for centuries.
Racial health disparities directly and indirectly contribute to health inequalities. Health inequities are the unjust and, most importantly, modifiable differences in how people are treated and the health outcomes they end up with. In short, an individual’s background shouldn’t determine their right to equal healthcare, yet it often does. Much of these disparities stem from the social determinants of health. These are the life factors that impact someone outside of the doctor’s office, like your upbringing, financial situation, education, and access to resources. When systems make it harder for certain groups to live healthy lifestyles, the result is unavoidable for poor health outcomes. Simply put, racial health disparities are persistent, unjust flaws in our system that impacts marginalized communities the hardest, specifically people of African descent (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2024).
Why do racial health inequities exist today? What we should be asking ourselves is how colonialism and the enslavement of Black people built the very foundation of structural racism.
First, let’s define what it is. Structural racism is when the society we live in consists of deeply rooted barriers reinforced by unwritten and written policies, systems, laws, practices and/or beliefs that perpetuate the unjust treatment and oppression of any race (Braveman et al., 2022). For Black students today, this isn’t just a history lesson, it directly impacts the quality of healthcare they receive and the level of trust they can place in their physicians (Konstantopoulos et al., 2023).
Structural racism exists because of colonialism and slavery. Even though Canada was often viewed as the more progressive and safer country for black individuals, slavery was still practiced for over 200 years – from the 1600s to the 1850s – followed by another century of systematic segregation (McRae & McCullough, 2018). During this time, and even after formal segregation ended, Canadian society still found new ways of excluding and denying opportunities.
Post the abolishment of slavery many Black individuals faced:
This history is the direct root of today’s representation gap in healthcare. When you realize that Black families were systematically denied higher education, housing, land ownership, and even military service. ‘Legal’ segregation ended in the 1960s meaning that it has only been 66 years where Canadian-African individuals were able to get into higher education(including the adversity faced while in education) to build true economic wealth, through higher paying jobs and careers.
Racial health disparities on campus aren’t just about individual luck. They are the direct byproduct of structural racism and systemic barriers that have been building for centuries. In Canada, the legacies of slavery, followed by a century of segregation, created a foundation of economic and educational disenfranchisement for Black communities.
This isn’t just history, it actively shapes the current student experience. Research shows that Black students are significantly less likely than their White peers to receive mental health treatment (Oshin et al., 2022). This isn’t because the need isn’t there; it’s largely due to a massive lack of trust in the healthcare system.
This mistrust doesn’t just ” come out of the blue.” It is a valid, logical response to a dark history of medical exploitation. Some examples include, Carl Linnaeus’s 18th-century taxonomic ranking, which labeled Africanus as a “less civilized” , “lazy”, and “unintelligent”, species, to the 20th-century Tuskegee Syphilis Study and the non-consensual use of Henrietta Lacks’s cells (CDC, 2024; Linnaeus and Race , 2023). Even today, Linnaeus’s biased taxonomy fuels myths in modern clinics, with some professionals still believing Black individuals have “tougher skin” or higher pain tolerance, leading to significantly worse healthcare treatment (Hoffman et al., 2016).
Today on campus, these historical traumas show up as something called “negative public regard.” This is when students feel their racial identity is viewed negatively by society and naturally pull back, showing less engagement in both academic and health-related activities.
When the healthcare system feels like another space for aggression/ self-advocation rather than a support, students aren’t just accessing care but navigating systemic biases. Ultimately, identity shapes the health experience as a matter of survival. Until we address these deep-seated myths and historical scars, true campus belonging will remain out of reach for many.
We can’t “fix” mental health disparities by just telling students to reach out more. We have to change the system they are reaching out to. To bridge the gap, we need:
We’ve discussed the “trust gap” and the historical weight Black students carry, but it’s just as important to highlight the spaces being built specifically to lift that weight. You don’t have to navigate these systems alone. Whether you want to stay on campus or look for support within the broader Hamilton community, there are programs designed to provide care that actually understand your identity.
These are delivered in a hybrid format to make them as accessible as possible, from the Black Student Success Center:
Ongoing
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You can reach out to: bss@mcmaster.ca, to sign up or if you have more questions
McMaster’s Student Wellness Centre (SWC) is committed to providing care that is respectful and responsive to the cultural and personal identities of the students we serve.
Current programing
Literature in the Lounge: BHM- During Black History Month the SWC will feature a curated choice of short stories, graphic novels, and other works rooted in Black history to expand the Literature in the Lounge program. The program is implemented to honour and amplify the voices of Black authors and celebrate the vast community networks that have blossomed on campus.
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Women healing in color – A culturally-affirming drop-in group for BIPOC women and femmes to explore intersectionality, share lived experiences and build connections. Participants can be unapologetically themselves while engaging in community care, creative expression, and conversations on identity and personal journeys.
Black X-Scape – The student-led Black X-Scape provides a space for Black students to participate in safe and liberating discussions about mental health and healing. Black students can express themselves freely and engage in conversations about the nuances of mental health, wellness, stigma, and more.
Sometimes, you might want to seek support outside of the university environment. Here are key resources available in the city and across Canada:
Braveman, P. A., Arkin, E., Proctor, D., Kauh, T., & Holm, N. (2022). Systemic and structural racism: Definitions, examples, health damages, and approaches to dismantling. Health Affairs, 41(2), 171–178. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2021.01394
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). The U.S. Public Health Service Syphilis Study at Tuskegee: The timeline. https://www.cdc.gov/tuskegee/about/timeline.html
Cheng, H. L., Kwan, K. L. K., & Sevig, T. (2012). Racial and ethnic minority college students’ stigma associated with seeking psychological help: Examining effects of social norms and collective self-esteem. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 60(1), 98–110. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0030584
Hoffman, K. M., Trawalter, S., Axt, J. R., & Oliver, M. N. (2016). Racial bias in pain assessment and treatment recommendations, and false beliefs about biological differences between blacks and whites. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), 113(16), 4296–4301. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1516047113
Amani Services. (n.d.). Mental health & substance use program. https://amaniservices.ca/mental-health-substance-use-program/
Black Youth Helpline. (n.d.). National helpline for Black youth and families. https://blackyouthhelpline.ca/
Hamilton Urban Core Community Health Centre. (n.d.). Our services. https://hucchc.com/services
Konstantopoulos, W. M., Collins, K. A., Diaz, R., Duber, H. C., Edwards, C., Hsu, A., Ranney, M. L., Riviello, R. J., Wettstein, Z. S., & Sachs, C. J. (2023). Race, healthcare, and health disparities: A critical review and recommendations for advancing health equity. Western Journal of Emergency Medicine: Integrating Emergency Care with Population Health, 24(5), 906–918. https://doi.org/10.5811/westjem.58408
McMaster University. (n.d.). Group wellness and community care programs: Power in Motion, Rooted, and Success Beyond the Degree. Student Wellness Centre. https://wellness.mcmaster.ca/programs/
McRae, M., & McCullough, J. (2018). Racial segregation of Black students in Canadian schools. The Canadian Encyclopedia. https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/racial-segregation-of-black-students-in-canadian-schools
Public Health Agency of Canada. (2024). Social determinants of health and health inequalities. Government of Canada. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/health-promotion/population-health/what-determines-health.html
Spates, K., Evans, N. M., Watts, B. C., & James, T. (2024). The influence of engagement and help-seeking among racially and ethnically minoritized college students. Journal of American College Health, 72(8). [Source: https://journals.scholarsportal.info/details/07448481/v72i0008/2954_tioeiahtaacs.xml]
Washington, H. A. (2006). Medical apartheid: The dark history of medical experimentation on Black Americans from colonial times to the present. Doubleday. [Reference for Dr. J. Marion Sims and Henrietta Lacks research].