Why Do Blacks Die Young?

The gap in life expectancy between the races in America remains wide. The search for the causes runs from poverty and prejudice to life-style.

The birth of a child is a time of joy and promise. In a land as rich as the U.S., all parents have the right to expect a life long and healthy for their sons and daughters. But the odds that this wish will come true are shockingly reduced if the baby happens to be black.

A white baby stands a 70% better chance of reaching its fourth birthday than a black child. And the average life expectancy of African Americans is 70.3 years, much less than the 76 years that white Americans can expect.

The life-spans of both races have...

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