Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stated, in one of his speeches in 1968, that the greatest civil rights issue of the 21^st century would be major disparities in health care for African Americans and the underserved. His prophecy is alive and well and the medical profession continues to address this very ugly reality.

We are discovering, as time has progressed, that health disparities occur when the disease burden is greater in one group of people than it is in another group.  There are multifaceted reasons for health disparities.  A long history of racism, lack of access to health care, economics, unconscious bias, poverty, socioeconomic status, health literacy, lack of education, lack of minority health providers, and your place of residence contribute to the health outcome of the underserved populations.  Health disparities are found in infant mortality, cancer, mental health, heart disease, diabetes, HIV, kidney disease, strokes, and homicide by law enforcement officers. This is why health disparities exist in the United States today.