As the expression goes “knowledge is power”, however, only if used. And knowledge is power when it comes to our health and wellness as well. So where does Black history fit into our wellness journey?
I think we can agree that Black history is American history. And I think we would also agree that our education in the past related to our Black history has been lacking for most of us.
This Black History Month, for me, feels different–because life feels more fragile for me now more than ever due to the pandemic and the truths that have surfaced regarding our current and past Black population.
This month has been one of quiet reflection for me. I’ve had to remind myself over the last month–the only way forward is together. When I saw the confederate flags in the hands of the men and women in the Capitol on January 6th, flying freely, their statement was clear and the reality of what we are dealing with as a country never felt more heartbreaking. There is still much work to be done. There are still books to be read, and documentaries and movies to watch related to the Black history we have not been taught. Granted, I’ve never been accused of being a big history buff–however, this year, for me, this lack of knowledge has been so eye opening, especially along the Covid19 vaccine issue where Blacks have such a low percentage of inoculation even though their death numbers are high. Why would that be?
Historical Health Care Fear is Real: Here are a couple of quick history lessons related to past Black health care. How many of us knew why there was a vaccine dilemma among Blacks and why there was and continues to be fear or distrust? I sure was not aware about what was done to Black men and how they were abused, during the awful tragedy of the Tuskegee experiment.
The Tuskegee experiment began in 1932, at a time when there was no known treatment for syphilis, a contagious venereal disease. After being recruited by the promise of free medical care, 600 African American men in Macon County, Alabama were enrolled in the project, which aimed to study the full progression of the disease.
The participants were primarily sharecroppers, and many had never before visited a doctor. Doctors from the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS), which was running the study, informed the participants—399 men with latent syphilis and a control group of 201 others who were free of the disease—they were being treated for bad blood, a term commonly used in the area at the time to refer to a variety of ailments.
The men were monitored by health workers but only given placebos such as aspirin and mineral supplements, despite the fact that penicillin became the recommended treatment for syphilis in 1947, some 15 years into the study.
In order to track the disease’s full progression, researchers provided no effective care as the men died, went blind or insane or experienced other severe health problems due to their untreated syphilis.
And here’s another bit of Black history involving our medical community: the ‘father of modern gynecology, Dr. James Sims, performed shocking experiments on enslaved Black women in the late 1800’s. His research was conducted without anesthesia, historians and others say his use of enslaved Black bodies as medical test subjects falls into a long, ethically deprived history that included the Tuskegee syphilis experiment. Critics say Sims cared more about the experiments than in providing therapeutic treatment, and that he caused untold suffering by operating under the racist notion that Black people did not feel pain.
With that kind of history, their fear is very understandable–as a medical professional, I admittedly was appalled and frankly totally embarrassed that our country committed such atrocities against our Black race and then basically buried SO much of that history to the rest of us. And there continue to be other hurdles causing a lower number of vaccinated Black folks.
Poor Health Care Access: There’s been a whole lot of effort that has gone into portraying these vaccines as being safe, yet the same amount of thought, effort, and concern needs to be put into figuring out how to get the vaccine to Black people and their communities. That’s a disconnect, but it’s not surprising. From lack of technology to get scheduled, to Black people not having equal access to things like quality education, good health care, safe communities; the vaccine is no different. It’s like everything else in our society. There is rarely equal access for Black people.
Our Healing Challenge Moving Forward: As we know, injustice persists until it is openly acknowledged, examined and confronted for what it has been and continues to be. Granted, many of these educational movies or documentaries and new knowledge may make us feel uncomfortable and embarrassed at first, however, as compassion evolves–healing can better occur–offering wellness opportunities for us all. However, it takes persistence and focus. So far I have watched the documentary on Netflix titled “13” and am beginning to read a book titled “Caste”. There are SO many options out there to get better informed. And may our increased compassion give us energy to assertively speak up for injustices we see occur.
Covid19 Humor: How did the health experts lie? They said a mask was enough to go to the grocery store. When I got there, everyone else had clothes on.
Keep showing your respect and love by wearing your mask, Warriors!