A Black family's battle with Alzheimer's
Constance Guthrie is not yet dead, but her daughter has begun to plan her funeral. It will be, Jessica Guthrie says, in a Black-owned funeral home, with the songs of her ancestors. She envisions a celebration of her mother’s life, not a tragic recitation of her long decline. As it should be. Constance has lived 74 years, many of them good, as a Black woman, a mother, educator and businesswoman. But she will die of Alzheimer’s disease, a scourge of Black Americans that threatens to grow far worse in coming decades.
As featured on
Black Americans are more likely than white Americans to develop Alzheimer's disease. They are less likely to be diagnosed and get treatment. The reasons are many and systemic and can be traced to American health inequities that follow Black people from birth to death. While evidence exists that certain genetic risk factors could differ by race and be a driver, the large disparities among racial groups can't be explained just by genetics. Poor medical care throughout life, and the stress of racism, can be factors.
