Introduction

Abstract

Invisible Visits tells the story of middle class Black women whose experiences of race and gender discrimination in healthcare settings are all but overlooked in social science research. The book uses interviews and focus groups to analyze how the perception of bias and stereotyping affect healthcare for Black women who are not poor but remain socially and economically vulnerable nonetheless. The introduction argues that these women anticipate being stereotyped and often feel they have to emphasize hard won skills, like their education or careers, to push back against their physician’s biased or discriminatory views. This chapter also presents data on healthcare and health outcome disparities among Black middle class women. In so doing, it lays the groundwork for the remainder of the book.