Students discuss impact of race on health

Racism could be the source of premature births in black women, according to a documentary shown in Brody Auditorium on Thursday.

To address such a large issue, the Brody Neighborhood Engagement Team sponsored a film viewing on the second clip of the seven-part documentary “Unnatural Causes: Is Inequality Making Us Sick?” and a discussion following the presentation to talk about the relationship between race and health.

During the event, Kathy Brandenburg, a registered nurse at MSU Student Health Services Brody Clinic, said the documentary tackles topics that have been began attracting researchers’ attention.

“The film is about a question people have been asking: Why do African American women have poor pregnancy outcomes and higher rates of pregnancy lost?” she said.

The documentary cited chronic stress from facing constant discrimination as a primary source of premature pregnancies. Stress can enter the womb, causing an early birth before the fetus is fully grown.

Brandenburg co-faciliated the event with Mary Phillips, a coordinator in the Office of Cultural and Academic Transitions and the Black Student Alliance adviser, who said she understood how much premature births can affect black mothers.

“This is a powerful film … it really resonated for me,” she said.

After the viewing, the facilitators encouraged students to talk in a small group about the strong messages in the documentary.

Education senior Devin Evans said with a history of premature births in his family, he could relate to the themes and ideas presented in the film.

“That was very shocking,” he said. “I never realized how much racism can take a toll on the body. It was very eye-opening.”