Medical & Clinical Reviews

Skin Color vis-à-vis Minority Self-Hate: Implications of Leukocyte Telomere Length (LTL) for Lifespan Longevity

A review of social science literature attests to a minimal reference to “skin color” in deference to the mainstream traditions of race and not withstanding skin color’s salience among minority clientele. A cursory review of the Social Work literature and in particular health care further attests to the relative absence of skin color in deference to race. Race at most is a proxy for skin color. Skin color is the critical deciding attribute in the lifespan longevity of minority health care clientele. After years of denigration self-hate has manifested physiologically among minority clientele little known by Social Workers and evident as health risk by decreased Leukocyte Telomere Length (LTL) in Black men. To educate Social Work providers of health care will require an official acknowledgement of self-hate relative to skin color by the academy and the various activist organizational structures involved.

Author(s):

Ronald E Hall

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