Edited Interview Transcript

We know that, across the world, socioeconomic status is a powerful predictor of health. In fact, it’s a more powerful predictor of health than genetics or medical care or cigarette smoking. Now, why is that important to our discussion of race? It’s very important because, on average, in our society, socioeconomic status differs by race. So, on average, Blacks have lower levels of income, lower levels of wealth, and lower levels of education than whites do. And for other minority populations, a similar pattern is evident.