Many of the 44.3 million uninsured citizens are black Americans and other minorities, said David M. Cutler '87, Loeb professor of social sciences, who spent a year working for the Clinton Administration.

On average, he said, white patients, who tend to be wealthier, live longer.

"Economic status is clearly related to health," Cutler said. "But even people who are very well insured don't necessarily get the care they need."

According to Dance, who works for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), a history of racism and mistreatment of blacks is reflected in the lack of trust many black people have toward the medical profession.

Blacks are more at risk for many health issues as well, Dance said. For example, he said, 50 percent of black women are obese, 40 percent of black women have a higher risk of dying of heart disease than do white women and black men under 65 are twice as likely to get prostate cancer as their white counterparts.

Racism and mistrust have left a persistent legacy, he said.

Dance spoke of the Tuskegee experiment, in which 412 black men remained untreated for syphilis from 1932-72, even after penicillin was widely used as a cure, as part of a government experiment.