Meeting the Moment: Bioethics in the Time of Black Lives Matter

Am J Bioeth. 2022 Mar;22(3):9-21. doi: 10.1080/15265161.2021.2001093. Epub 2021 Dec 2.

Abstract

In this article, I begin by describing what I call this Black Lives Matter moment in the US. I then offer three reasons for considering racism as a bioethical issue, the least discussed of which is the way in which racism acts as a barrier to the creation of better healthcare systems. Next, I argue that the concept of race itself constitutes a bioethical issue in a way that is not fully reducible to racism. Finally, I discuss how we, both bioethicists and health care professionals, might meet this moment by identifying individual points of responsibility (beyond liability) for structural injustice.

Keywords: Race and culture/ethnicity; health care delivery; public health.

MeSH terms

  • Bioethics*
  • Black People
  • Delivery of Health Care
  • Ethicists
  • Humans
  • Racism*