Black doctors and medical community say RFK Jr.'s rhetoric poses real dangers to public health Published April 21, 2026 6:30AM (EDT) Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies during a hearing of the House Education And Workforce Committee on Capitol Hill on April 17, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Heather Diehl/Getty Images) Since his confirmation as Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been a magnet for controversies, ranging from his shakeup of vaccine schedules and recommendations to his assertion that Americans “shouldn’t be taking medical advice from me.” Among his many medically questionable statements are recurring instances of what leading Black medical experts call “medical racism.” Last week, Kennedy was confronted with one of his past statements during a hearing before the House Ways and Means Committee. Rep.…