Environmental racism, which refers to how communities of color suffer disproportionately from environmental hazards, such as toxic waste and pollution, extends to the prison system as well. Scalawag reports that some prisons are even built on top of toxic waste sites and landfills. The publication cites the Prison Policy Initiative's report from 2022 that states a third of state and federal prisons are within three miles of federal Superfund sites, which are contaminated sites that require extensive cleanup.

Read more about environmental racism’s impact on people who are incarcerated →

When the Department of Health Care Services introduced its Medi-Cal Doula Services Benefit, Jessica Miller felt there was a lack of step-by-step guidance on how people like her could implement the benefit to reach underserved communities. Hence, Miller, a mother, licensed vocational nurse, and fourth-generation birth worker, founded Jurupa Valley Doulas last year to reach communities who could benefit from working with doulas like herself. However, in the months since the organization launched, she tells Black Voice News that the process of becoming a provider under Medi-Cal has been challenging. Read more about Miller's journey to make a difference and improve maternal health outcomes in underserved community →VIDEO: Black women are dying. How do we decrease Black maternal mortality? (URL Media)

Thirty two and bedridden, César Lepe, a former civil servant and university degree holder from Mexico, suffers from long COVID, a multisystem virus characterized by fatigue and cognitive dysfunction. In late 2021, when vaccines became available in Mexico, Lepe received his first shot. Since then, his symptoms have worsened, he tells palabra. Lepe had doubts about the vaccine's effectiveness, but wanted to exhaust all options after an immunologist told him earlier in the year that there was no treatment for his long COVID.Read about how long COVID patients are navigating Mexico’s healthcare system →

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Jessica Miller is a fourth-generation birth worker and co-founder of Jurupa Valley Doulas in California. Miller launched the organization with her mother and husband (pictured here), Daniel Miller, to help underserved communities navigate Medi-Cal Doula Services 

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Interested in more nuanced and fresh health journalism from URL Media and our network of independent Black and Brown publishers? Visit our Instagram feed to hear health experts and community leaders discuss health inequities and give practical advice on living a healthier life. Also, be sure to follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to stay tuned for more bite-sized video reports on Wednesdays across our social media feeds.