Social Justice, Civil Rights, and Bioethics

A stunning confluence of events in the United States in the first few months of 2020 have illustrated pervasive systemic prejudice against vulnerable people resulting in increased risk of death. Combined and situated among other, similar incidents too numerous to mention here, they present an opportunity for bioethicists to help change the impact of implicit bias, white privilege, and prejudice in shaping the very ability to live a healthy life in America.

The current lack of care and even outright cruelty rendering a variety of vulnerable populations susceptible to early death illustrate why there must be more attention paid to social justice in the United States’ politically determined health care non-system. What Daniel Dawes labels as the political determinants of health—voting, government, and policy—have fostered social injustices. They also have exacerbated health inequities, as this Essay will illustrate by focusing on actions the Trump Administration has taken to undermine access to health care for millions of Americans. While the U.S. Supreme Court has acted as a check on some of the Administration’s more socially unjust positions, there remains much work to be done with regard to Americans’ health, and bioethicists can help.