EC Psychology And Psychiatry

The lessons learned from human tragedies, such as those borne of disregard and maltreatment, often become diminished and marginalized over time. The memorials built in their honor and ceremonial remembrances can come to serve more as photo-ops for politicians and political leaders than as an actual joining of hearts and minds in paying respect to those who have suffered and in forging a way forward to prevent similar failures of conscience, common sense, and human decency from recurring. The following paper serves as a reminder of a historical tragedy and what happened to innocent African American men in Tuskegee, Alabama and what could happen to people of any sex, race, or creed if society becomes careless or indifferent.

Keywords: African Americans, Bad blood, Healthcare inequality, Syphilis, Tuskegee

1. “US Public Health Service Syphilis Study at Tuskegee” (2016).
2. Census 2000 Redistricting Data. “Percent Distribution of US Population, by race/Ethnicity” (2000).
3. DeNeen L Brown. ‘You’ve got bad blood’: The horror of the Tuskegee syphilis experiment” (2017).
4. Dwayne T Brandon., et al. “The Legacy of Tuskegee and Trust in Medical Care: Is Tuskegee Responsible for Race Differences in Mistrust of Medical Care?” Journal of the National Medical Association 97.7 (2005): 951-956.
5. National Center for Health Statistics. “National Health Interview Survey, 2000” (2002).
6. Nicholas Eberstadt. “Race, Class, and Health in the 21st Century” (2015).
7. Vanessa Northington Gamble. “Under the Shadow of Tuskegee: African Americans and Health Care”. American Journal of Public Health 87.11 (1997): 1773-1778.