Past Is Prologue: Dismantling Colonial Legacies to Advance Black Health Equity in the United States

Colonialism underlies the commodification of health care in the United States and continues to harm well-being among Black Americans. We present four recommendations for addressing its health consequences: (1) Investments in epigenetic research to improve our understanding of how systemic oppression becomes biology. (2) Centering Black experiences and knowledge traditions in education, practice, and policy. (3) Support for Black scholars, trainees, and practitioners when they critic disciplinary tenets and practices. (4) Expansion of preventive care. Our health care system is a for-profit industry that exploits workers and harms the most marginalized, much like colonialism. Advancing health equity requires dismantling colonial legacies.