Summary

In “Afterword,” Villarosa describes the end of her work on this book. In February 2020 she moderated “a panel discussion at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Sharing Knowledge health conference” (195). Friend and fellow panel member, Joia, wondered why their panel was “saying bias and discrimination” instead of “racism” (195). The group discussed the difference in the language. Although Villarosa knew they were discussing racism in healthcare, she “felt uncomfortable owning it” (195).

Shortly after returning to Brooklyn from the conference, the COVID-19 lockdown began. Villarosa read constantly about the pandemic, and particularly about how “Black Americans were at elevated risk for COVID” (197). Unnerved and intrigued by what she was reading, Villarosa sent a proposal to her editor Jessica Lustig for a piece. She wanted to write “about race and COVID” (198). Lustig encouraged her to send her a pitch grounded in a specific narrative (199).

Villarosa centered her...