he Global Black Lifespan Journey: From Cradle to Legacy begins with a simple but unsettling truth: in the United States, wealth does not guarantee protection. Despite unmatched national resources, Black communities face higher rates of cardiometabolic disease, maternal mortality, and kidney disease—outcomes shaped not by biology, but by systems. This opening chapter asks readers to look beyond genetics and consider geography, policy, and access. It examines how structural racism quietly organizes neighborhoods, healthcare access, and daily exposure to risk, producing unequal health outcomes o...