Smithsonian Channel & Oprah Winfrey Team On New Documentary Tackling Racial Disparities In Healthcare

EXCLUSIVE: The Smithsonian Channel and Oprah Winfrey‘s Harpo Productions are partnering on The Color of Care, a new documentary that chronicles how people of color suffer from systemically substandard healthcare in the United States and how Covid-19 exposed the tragic consequences of these inequities. The project premieres on May 1 at 8 p.m.

The documentary traces the origins of racial health disparities to practices that began during slavery in the U.S. and continue today. It will feature testimony from people who lost loved ones to Covid-19 and frontline medical workers in overwhelmed hospitals. With the combination of interviews from experts and data, The Color of Care exposes the devastating toll of racism that is embedded in our healthcare system, the network shared.

“At the height of the pandemic, I read something that stopped me in my tracks,” said Winfrey, Executive Producer. “I read a story about Gary Fowler, a Black man that died in his home because no hospital would treat him despite his Covid-19 symptoms. As we continued to hear how the racial disparities in our country were exacerbated by the effects of the pandemic, I felt something needed to be done. This film is my way of doing something, with the intention that the stories we share serve as both a warning and foster a deeper understanding of what changes need to take place to better serve us all.”

Added James Blue, Head, Smithsonian Channel, “People of color have long endured the fatal consequences of racial health disparities and the Covid-19 pandemic made these inequalities plain for all to see. I hope our documentary event, The Color of Care, will be a catalyst for action. I am delighted to partner with Oprah Winfrey and Harpo Productions on this vital project.”

The Color of Care is produced by Harpo Productions with executive producers Oprah Winfrey, Terry Wood, and Catherine Cyr. The film is directed by Oscar-nominated and Emmy award-winning director Yance Ford, with producer Kate Bolger. James Blue and Tim Evans are executive producers for Smithsonian Channel, with producer Najma Nurridin.

Watch the teaser above.