Black belt epidemiology

docx

School

University of Texas, Dallas *

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Course

1311

Subject

History

Date

Oct 30, 2023

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by eunice09122019

The Black Belt, a region in the Southern United States, once represented a land of opportunity for amassing wealth. However, it has since transformed into one of the nation's most poverty- stricken areas, its roots deeply entwined with the historical cotton plantations that thrived on the institution of African American slavery. White slave owners heavily relied on the fertile Black soil and the labor of Black individuals to sustain their prosperity, amassing substantial profits from the exploitation of enslaved Black people. The conclusion of the American Civil War marked the emancipation of enslaved individuals, yet the return of their seized land did not materialize until the year 2020, with the enactment of The Justice for Black Farmers Act. This legislation facilitated the return of land to descendants, providing them with "up to 160 acres at no cost through USDA land grants." The Lifecourse Perspective is instrumental in understanding how diverse life experiences impact an individual's development and overall health. It scrutinizes these experiences, linking them to various social, environmental, economic, and biological factors across an individual's lifespan, transcending the sole consideration of physiological characteristics. This perspective finds particular relevance in the examination of the mortality rates of African American males residing in this region, which exceeds the national average by 50 percent. Following the Civil War, a substantial portion of white slave owners vacated these areas, leaving behind a landscape characterized by limited educational and employment prospects, inadequate healthcare access, and feeble infrastructure. The resultant unfavorable living conditions contributed to a decline in the demand for essential resources, encompassing food and healthcare services. Consequently, the procurement of nutritious sustenance and high-quality healthcare services has become a formidable challenge. The legacy of African Americans as former slaves has not only obliterated educational and occupational opportunities but has also left an enduring impact on their life expectancy. Years of enslavement, initiated at a young age, have yielded unfavorable socioeconomic outcomes, which, in turn, have engendered adverse health outcomes, as elucidated by the Lifecourse Perspective. Throughout their enslavement, African American individuals were denied educational opportunities, leading to an absence of access to white-collar employment. This situation forced them to toil in arduous labor markets, thereby perpetually imperiling their health. The dearth of adequate nutritional options, a facet intertwined with the Lifecourse Perspective, is yet another influential factor in this multifaceted dynamic.

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