Author and New York Times Magazine journalist Linda Villarosa is the author of Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and on the Health of Our Nation, which lays bare the toll racism takes on individuals and the health of our nation. It was named one of The New York Times 10 Best Books of 2022 and one of the books of the year by The Atlantic, NPR, The Washington Post, TIME and more.

In her pieces for The Times, Linda has focused on the consistent poorer health outcomes for Black Americans over their white and Latinx counterparts, including higher rates of maternal and infant mortality, higher rates of mortality for COVID and HIV/AIDS, and the shocking difference in life expectancy in predominantly Black versus white Chicago neighborhoods.

As a contributor to The New York Times’ Pulitzer Prize-winning 1619 Project and the subsequent book-length expansion of the 1619 Project, she traced the race-based physiological myths that have endured since slavery and continue to plague medicine today.

A former executive editor of Essence Magazine, Linda is a member of the Association of LGBTQ Journalists (NLGJA) Hall of Fame and has been recognized with awards from the American Medical Writers’ Association, the New York Association of Black Journalists, the National Women’s Political Caucus, and many others.

She teaches journalism, English and Black Studies at the City College of New York.