Angelina Jolie Opened Up About How Daughter Zahara's Race Impacted Her Post-Surgery Care
Angelina Jolie talked about the way race impacts medical care, citing an example from when her daughter Zahara, who is Black, underwent surgery.

- In a new interview, Angelina Jolie described the way race impacted her daughter, Zahara's, medical care after a recent surgery.
- The 46-year-old actress interviewed Malone Mukwende, the 21-year-old medical student behind Mind the Gap: a handbook of clinical signs on black and brown skin.
- "I have children from different backgrounds, and I know when there was a rash that everybody got, it looked drastically different depending on their skin color. But whenever I looked at medical charts, the reference point was always white skin," Jolie explained during the interview.
Angelina Jolie is opening up about how race issues impacted her daughter, Zahara's, post-surgery care.
In a new article for Time, Jolie interviewed Malone Mukwende, a medical student working to change how the medical field approaches conditions and diseases when it comes to non-white patients. As Jolie notes in the piece, Mukwende, 21, started the project when he realized that "almost all the images and data used in its teaching were based on studies of white patients," a gap in knowledge and treatment that can lead to "misdiagnosis, suffering and even death."
Mukwende's work hits home with Jolie in a very personal way. The 46-year-old actress explains in her piece that she's seen this issue play out firsthand, notably when her 16-year-old daughter Zahara, who is Black, underwent surgery last year.
"I have children from different backgrounds, and I know when there was a rash that everybody got, it looked drastically different depending on their skin color. But whenever I looked at medical charts, the reference point was always white skin," Jolie explained during the interview. "Recently my daughter Zahara, whom I adopted from Ethiopia, had surgery, and afterward a nurse told me to call them if her skin 'turned pink.'"
Mukwende replied that experiences like the one Jolie described are something he "started to notice very early on" and that inspired his work.
"Almost the entirety of medicine is taught in that way," he explained. "There’s a language and a culture that exists in the medical profession, because it’s been done for so many years and because we are still doing it so many years later it doesn’t seem like it’s a problem. However, like you’ve just illustrated, that’s a very problematic statement for some groups of the population because it’s just not going to happen in that way and if you’re unaware you probably won’t call the doctor."
RELATED STORIES
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
Kayleigh Roberts is a freelance writer and editor with over 10 years of professional experience covering entertainment of all genres, from new movie and TV releases to nostalgia, and celebrity news. Her byline has appeared in Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, The Atlantic, Allure, Entertainment Weekly, MTV, Bustle, Refinery29, Girls’ Life Magazine, Just Jared, and Tiger Beat, among other publications. She's a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
-
Youn Yuh-Jung Didn't Want to Make Another American Movie—Then Came 'The Wedding Banquet'
The Oscar winner shares why the LGBTQ+ rom-com hit close to home and the message she hopes it sends to ''conservative'' Koreans.
By Quinci LeGardye
-
The 17 On-Sale Beauty Finds I’m Stocking Up on Ahead of Summer
From glowy blushes to the all-time best sunscreen.
By Brooke Knappenberger
-
My Incredibly Picky Mom Told Me Every Beauty Product She Wants for Mother's Day
Shopping made easy.
By Samantha Holender
-
Angelina Jolie and Daughter Zahara Enjoy Mother-Daughter Night at Golden Globes After Divorce Finalized
The 19-year-old coordinated with her mom in Alexander McQueen.
By Kristin Contino
-
Brad Pitt's Girlfriend, Ines de Ramon, Reportedly "Influenced" Him to Settle His Divorce With Angelina Jolie
\201cInes wants to have a life together—with possibly children in the future—without the albatross that was the eight-year War of the Roses," a source said.
By Kayleigh Roberts
-
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's 8-Year Divorce Battle Was "Horrendous" for Her
A source close to the actress says the drawn-out legal battle took a toll on her and her children, but said it "gives her some relief...that this part is finally over."
By Kayleigh Roberts
-
Why Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's Divorce Settlement Took 8 Years to Reach
"Frankly, Angelina is exhausted, but she is relieved this one part is over," Jolie's lawyer said in a statement.
By Kayleigh Roberts
-
Angelina Jolie Doesn't Want Her Life Story Turned Into a Movie
"You're conscious of how you would hate for somebody to interpret your life."
By Amy Mackelden
-
Angelina Jolie Spoke to Her Sons About "Violence" and "Relationships" While Making 'Maria'
"Things that sometimes you don't have the opportunity to discuss with your sons..."
By Amy Mackelden
-
Angelina Jolie Says Motherhood Keeps Her From Feeling Lonely
"My work is not everything. Being a parent is everything."
By Danielle Campoamor
-
Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling Introduce the "Newest Member" of Their Family
"I'm crazy about her and excited to share life."
By Amy Mackelden