Under the Skin: Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on Health in America

Under the Skin by Linda Villarosa is a powerful and deeply researched examination of racial health disparities in the United States, revealing how systemic racism—rather than biology—drives unequal health outcomes for Black Americans. Drawing on history, medical research, investigative reporting, and compelling human stories, Villarosa exposes how discrimination embedded in healthcare systems, medical education, environmental policy, and social structures causes Black people to “live sicker and die quicker.” The book expands on Villarosa’s influential New York Times Magazine reporting, transforming it into a landmark work that reshapes how health inequity is understood.

Key Features

• Examines racial health disparities through historical, social, environmental, and medical lenses
• Reveals how racism—not race—functions as a public health crisis
• Critically analyzes persistent medical myths about biological differences
• Explores maternal and infant mortality as a central case study
• Highlights environmental racism and unequal living conditions
• Integrates rigorous scientific evidence with powerful personal narratives
• Essential reading for healthcare professionals, researchers, policymakers, students, and general readers interested in health equity and social justice

Product Details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage (May 9, 2023)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0525566228
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0525566229