Transcript
In my experience, black
Veterans are viewed
as being more violent and
aggressive and more resistant.
Whereas I believe white
Veterans are viewed as meek,
passive, and cooperative.
And I think they really have
to do something to be labeled.
Whereas a black man, a black Veteran,
let's say he stands six
foot three and 260 pounds,
right off the top, he's intimidating.
Because of his size, he's intimidating.
Oh God, he's a big black guy.
So he's very intimidating.
And I think that that goes through the VA
and we start to do care based on
those stigma and those fears.
And we approach it that way.
I'll say what I've seen is that
it's kind of like the police.
When they pull over a black
guy, they think one way.
And when they pull over a white guy,
they see their nephew,
they see their brother,
they see their cousin.
They can identify with the
person they pulled over,
whereas you pull over the black guy,
culturally something is lost.
So now you view him based on fears.
I think the same thing has bleeded over
into the VA service system.
I believe that we got to
get this cultural training
so that white doctors treat black Veterans
the way they treat white Veterans.
That's just my experience now.
I'm not saying that this is
at my VA and it's VA wide.
But when I talk to Veterans of color,
it's a reoccurring thing that
the treatment is not the same.