Oprah Winfrey is all set to bring a thought-provoking documentary to her audience, The Color of Care.
Directed by Yance Ford and executively produced by Oprah Winfrey herself, the documentary explores how people of color still suffer from systemically substandard healthcare in the United States, even in this day and age. It will consist of several interviews with medical professionals and people of color who have faced the same issue.
Here's everything viewers need to know about the upcoming documentary, premiering on May 1 at 8pm ET/PT on the Smithsonian Channel.
When is The Color of Care expected to air?
Oprah Winfrey's upcoming documentary, The Color of Care, is all set to premiere on the Smithsonian Channel on Sunday, May 1 at 8 PM ET. It will also be available to stream on Paramount+. The documentary traces the origins of racial health disparities in medical practices that continue to this day. People of color had to overcome racial bias for proper treatment even during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The synopsis for the documentary reads:
"Produced by Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions, it chronicles how people of colour suffer from systemically substandard healthcare in the United States and how COVID-19 exposed the tragic consequences of these inequities."
On the purpose of the documentary, it says:
"Using moving testimony from those who lost loved ones to COVID-19 and frontline medical workers in overwhelmed hospitals, expert interviews and powerful data, the film exposes the devastating toll of racism that is embedded in the healthcare system."
Check out the trailer for the documentary
The trailer for The Color of Care dropped earlier this month and featured the story of Gary Fowler and his son Keith Gambrell. We are told the story of how Gary fell sick with COVID-19 symptoms in March 2020 but was rejected from three hospitals when he tried to get help.
The clip also features Oprah sharing her reaction to this incident.
"At the height of the pandemic, I read something that stopped me in my tracks. 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."
For Oprah, this documentary is meant to highlight these societal problems so we can invite change.
"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."
The documentary includes interviews with medical professors and deans from some of the most prestigious universities around the world, who are also people of color. Dr. Ashish K. Jha, Dr. Neel T. Shah, Dr. Hetty Cunningham, Dr. Ala Stanford, and Dr. Patrice A. Harris will feature in the documentary among others.
Catch Oprah Winfrey's The Color of Care on the Smithsonian Channel on May 1 at 8pm ET/PT.