The contribution of research to racial health equity? Blame and responsibility in navigating the status quo of anti-black systemic racism.

Thirty-seven years ago, the Secretary's Task Force on Black and Minority Health called attention to a "national paradox" of persistent Black-White health disparities despite overall health improvements for the nation (HHS, 1985). Subsequent updates to the "Heckler Report" came to the same conclusion; Black Americans continued to exhibit poorer health in comparison to White Americans (Satcher et al., 2005).