Hidden Gems in Black History: The Dangerous Myth of Black Pain

In 1950, a medical journal held the belief that Black people could not perceive pain or recognize the signs of a potential heart attack. This greatly reduced the trust that Black people may have in White doctors to listen to their suffering and provide adequate treatment. Some white medical students have the misconception that Black people are inherently less sensitive or have stronger skin. Inadequate treatment of minorities’ suffering is fueled by incorrect concepts and hidden prejudices, according to experts. The Misconception Of Black People Pain  Racial tensions have always been an intricate part of American society’s fabric. Because slavery was a “peculiar institution” in the United States, discussions on race often center on Black people’s actual experiences. “Some white Southerners asserted, and many others thought that Blacks were medically distinct from whites and hence in need of special care,” medical historian Todd Savitt says. In this setting, the particular treatment served as a veneer of medical authority that bolstered the common belief that African-descended individuals were a different species and could be legitimately treated as “chattel” or enslaved people. Even though slavery has been abolished in the United States for four centuries, the legacy of the racist view that...