Last week, the American Medical Association issued a formal apology for its history of discrimination against black doctors. Today on The State of Things, Frank Stasio and guests will discuss race and health care – particularly, this history of racial discrimination and its ongoing effects, including under-representation of black doctors in the health care profession and the widening of health disparities among minority populations. One of his guests will be Spencie Love, author of One Blood: The Death and Resurrection of Charles R. Drew.
In One Blood, Love chronicles the legend of Dr. Charles Drew, the African American blood plasma pioneer whose death after a car accident was falsely rumored to be the result of a racist hospital policy. She shows that in a generic sense, the Drew legend is true: throughout the segregated era, African Americans were turned away at hospital doors, and they figuratively bled to death at white hands from the time they were brought to this country as slaves. By preserving their own stories, Love says, they prove the enduring value of oral history.
The State of Things airs at noon on WUNC 91.5 FM (Chapel Hill). You can stream it live online or catch the podcast later. (On the State of Things page, look under the column with the red banner. I’ll add the link to the podcast as soon as it’s available. Update: here’s the link to the podcast.)
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