Angelina Jolie highlights ‘racial bias in forensic evidence’ of abuse survivors

Angelina Jolie, who is a known activist, spoke up about the much-neglected issue faced by abuse survivors of colour when seeking medical care.

In an op-ed written by the actress and activist, 48, and published in the American Journal of Nursing Wednesday, July 6, 2023, she talked about the new technology that allows for bruising to be seen on darker skin tones.

The star who has been a longtime advocate against domestic violence detailed “the simple, portable device” that directs “alternate light” on the skin she observed when she visited forensic nurse Katherine N. Scafide.

The new “technique is up to five times more effective at detecting bruising than white light, as much as four weeks after injury,” Jolie explained.

Citing her personal experience with her 18-year-old daughter Zahara, who is from Ethiopia, Jolie penned that her daughter was told to look for pink around her incision sites to check for improper healing.

“I had a talk with my daughter, both of us knowing that we would have to look for signs of infection based on our own knowledge, not what the nurse had said, despite her undoubted good intentions,” the Unbroken filmmaker wrote.

Jolie acknowledged that signs of bruising is one of the crucial aspects that abuse survivors of colour struggle with since it goes undetected by doctors and first responders.

She went on to add that this new bruise-detecting technology is only a piece of the bigger picture, but it is an important step toward protecting abuse survivors.

“Let’s be clear: racial bias in forensic evidence collection is only one aspect of much larger societal issues that lead to health care inequities and racially biased health outcomes,” she recognized.

“Many factors contribute to the unacceptable, disproportionate impact of domestic violence on communities of colour in America, and all must be addressed.”