This chapter explores the health of individuals of African descent living in the U.S. It provides an overview of the “conditions of life” that prevent millions of Black Americans from reaching their “human accomplishments.” Black Americans experience disparities in access to healthcare, quality of care received, and interactions with medical professionals. Macro-level structures and social institutions can ameliorate or perpetuate disparities in health. Disparities related to racial residential segregation highlight how the neighborhood context influences health. Social psychological explanations of health disparities explore how perception, meaning, and interpretation of illness differ across racial groups. The chapter provides a brief overview of these status variations in Blacks' health in hopes of infusing additional nuance into the discussion surrounding African American health. The status variations include: socioeconomic status, gender, nativity, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. Measurement bias may undercount mental health prevalence among Black Americans.