Reply to courtab,
Hi! I definitely agree with you and I think that you wrote a very thoughtful forum post. I really like how you referenced structural competency and how applicable this concept is to Dr. Tweedy’s book. I think that structural competency is indirectly referenced time and time again throughout these first couple chapters. For instance, Dr. Tweedy references the structural and social restrictions that stem from the history of slavery in the South. Dr. Tweedy states on page 4, “While the civil rights movement ultimately stirred remarkable racial progress in various areas of American life, many of King’s concerns about health and healthcare remain valid to this day”. As seen in this quote, social stigmas and structural restrictions from before the civil rights still linger today, affecting both the health and education of African Americans. I definitely agree with your closing point, that in order to combat this structural inequality our medical system’s demographics and values need to reflect the diverse nature of the people it serves.
I hope you are doing well and staying safe! Thank you for your post!