Philadelphia apologizes for experiments on Black inmates

SOLEDAD: THANK YOU, ALEXIS. IT’S BEEN ALMOST TWO YEARS SINCE CONGRESSMAN LEWIS DIED. IN AN OP-ED PENNED FOR PUBLICATION UPON HIS DEA,TH LEWIS WROTE THE FOLLOWING — HE SAID, DEMOCRACY IS NOT A STA.TE IT IS AN ACT. AND EACH GENERATION MUST DO ITS PART TO HELP BUILD WHAT WE CALLED THE BELOVED COMMUNITY, A NATION AND WORLD SOCIETY AT PEACE WITH ITSF.EL DR. YOHURU WILLIAMS COUNTS LEWIS AS A PERSONAL ROHE HE IS A NOTED SCHOLAR OF CIVIL RIGHTS AND BLACK POWER MOVEMENTS. HE IS A PROFESSOR OF HISTORY AND THE FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF THE RACIAL JUSTICE INITIATIVE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS IN ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA. SOLEDAD: DR. WILLIAMS, IT’S SO NICE TO HAVE YOU. YOHURU: THAN FKSOR HAVING ME. SOLEDAD: YOU BET. YOU’RE A PROFESSOR OF HISTORY AND YOU STUDY CIVIL RIGHTS AND REALLY MOVENEMTS AS A WHOLE, RIGHT? SO I’M CURIOUS HOW YOU WOULD ASSESS THE MOMENT WE ARE IN RIGHT NOW IN AMERICA. YOHURU: WE’RE AT A MOMENT OF RECKONING IN SO MANY AREAS. SO, A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK NATURALLY ABOUT THE ISSUE OF RACE, BUT THE REALITY IS, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS WITH REGARD TO THE ENVIRONMENT, WITH REGARDO T GENDER. IT’S ALMOST AS IF THE BILL SHA COME DUE ON SO MUCH OF THE UNFINISHED BUSINESS OF HISRYTO THAT WE HAVEN’T RESOLVED. SOLEDAD: WHEN PEOPLE SAY THE BILL COMES DUE, THAT DOESN’T FEEL GOOD. YOHURU: IT SOUNDS OMINOUS. IT’S ACTUALLY QUITE HEALTHY, PARTICULARLY IN A PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY. SO IF WE THINK ABOUTUR O HISTORY, THE BILL CAME DUE DURING THE CIVIL WARND A RECONSTRUCTION. IT WAS UNFINISHED BUSINESS, TBU WE’RE A BETTER SOCIETY AAS RESULT OF THE CHANGES THAT WERE MADE IN THAT MOMENT. SAME IS TRUE OF 1920, IF WE TALK ABOUT THE PASSAGE OF THE 19TH AMENDMENT AND WHAT IT DOESN I TERMS OF EMPOWERING OR ENFRANCHISING WOMEN. UNFINISHED BUSINESS, BUT CERTAINLY THOSE MOMENTS BECOME REALLY IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF FORWARDING OUR DEMOCRACY. SOLEDAD: SO, YOU’RE AN OPTIMIST. YOHURU: I HAVE HOPE. I THINK CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEWIS SAID IT BEST, “IF WE’RE NOT HOPEFUL, THEN WE ABDICATE RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT WE CAN CHANGE, AND WE CAN ALL BE FORCES FOR TRANSFORMATI.”ON SOLEDAD: I INTERVIEWED BRYAN STEVENSON AND HE SAID THATE H WORRIES ABOUT THIS LACK OF TRUST THAT LOTS OF PEOPLE HAVE IN OUR JUDICIAL SYSM.TE AND YOU’VE SAID THAT A LACK OF TRUST IN INSTITUTIONS IS VERY DANGEROUS TO DEMOCRACY. SO WHY IS IT SO DANGEROUS? YOHURU: I THINK BACK TO 2013 WHEN SHELBY COUNTY VERSUS HOLDER CAME DOWN AND THE RESPONSE OF CONGRESSMAN LEWIS IN THAT MOMENT WHERE HE SAYS, LOOK, I THINK THE U.S. SUPREME COURT HAS REALLY TAKEN US BACK A GENERATION. 1965 WAS A PRETTY SPECIAL MOMENT. LYNDON JOHNSON HAD THE BULLY PULPIT, UNFORTUNATELY, OF A DEAD PRESIDENT TO PUSH FOR CIVIL RIGHTS IN THAT MOMENT AND SWA VERY EFFECTIVE IN BEING ABLE TO TWIST ARMS AND PUSH THROUGH AN AGENDA, WHICH TODAY WOULD BE VERY HARD TO GET TOUHRGH BECAUSE WE’RE SO POLARID. AND YOU’VE GOT PEOPLE, REALLY ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AIE.SL BUT IF WE’RE GOING TO BE VERY CLEAR, ON THE RIGHT, WHO ARE NOT INTERESTED IN STATECRAFT TO THAT DEGREE. IT’S NOT ABT OUSOLDERING THE UNION. IT’S REALLY ABOUT MAKING A POLITICAL POINT. AND THAT’S PROVED VERY DEADLY. THE LEGACY OF JANUARY 6 SPEAKS TO THAT, I THINK, IN A WAY THAT WE CAN’T IGNO.RE SOLEDAD: THE HISTORY OF MOVEMENTS SOMETIMES SEEMS TO BE GOING FROM TRAGEDY TO TRAGEDY TO TRAGEDY. YOHURU: IT’S UNFORTUNATE, AND IT GOES BACK TO THE ADVICE THAT WILLIAM DEAN HOWELLS GAVE TO EDITH WHARTON WHEN SHE WAS EMBARKING ON HER LITERARY CAREER. AND HE SAID, UNDERSTAND THAT AMERICANS ALWAYS LIKE A TRAGEDY WITH A HAPPY ENDING. THIS IDEA THAT WE HAVE A SITCOM UNDERSTANDING OF OUR HISTORY. WE WANT EVERYTHING TO BE WRAPPED UP IN 30 MINUTES. SOME PIECE OF LEGISLATION OR THE ELECTI OONF SOME PERSON IS GOING TO SOLVE OUR PROBLS.EM AND THE REALITY IS, IT REQUIRES US TO MAKE EVERYDAY COMMITMENTS FOR JUSTE.IC IT’S HARD WORK, AND IT MEANS THAT WE HAVE TO BE INVESTED AT A LEVEL THAT WE DON’T ASSUME THAT ANY SUPERMAN OR SUPERWOMAN IS GOING TO SAVE OUR PROBLE.MS WE HAVE TO DO THAT WORK EVERY DAY. SOLEDAD: BOTH MARGARET CHO AND BILLY PORTER BASICALLY SAID, THE NATION HAS AN INABILITY TO DEAL WITH THE SOURCE OF HATE. DO YOU THINK THAT’S TRUE? YOHURU: I THINK IT’S VERY TRUE. I THINK BECAUS–E SOLEDAD: WHY? YOHURU: — THE TRUTH REQUIRES ACTION, AND THERE IS THIS REAL POLARIZATION ON ONE END AND THEN A DESIRE FOR COMRTFO. SO I THINK THAT THERE ARE THOSE WHO ARE KIND OF LIVING IN THEIR ARCHIE BUNKER MOMENT OF ATWH THINGS WERE LIKE 20 YEARS AGO WHEN I DIDN’T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THESE ISSUES OF LGBTQ RIGHTS AND BLACK LIVES MATTER. AND THEN THERE ARE THOSE WHORE A SAYING, WE CAN’T AFFORD ANOTHER BACKLASH AGAINST THESE THINGS. WE’REOT N GOING TO GROW AS A SOCIETY IN AN INCREASINGLY GLOBAL WORLD. WE REALLY HAVE TO TACKLE THESE ISSUES IF WE’RE GOING TO BEOT N JUST COMPETITIVE, BUT IF WE’RE GOING TO THRE. SOLEDAD: IS THE RELUCTANCE, BECAUSE I THINK IN AMERICA WE HAVE THIS NARRATIVE ABOUT AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM, THAIFT YOU START LOOKING AT CRACKS AND FISSURES AND MAYBE THINGS THAT WEREN’T SO PERFECT, KIND OF DIGS INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT? YOHURU: I THINK ISABEL WILKERSON SAID IT BEST IN HER BOOK, “CASTE,” WHEN SHE TALKS ABOUT LIVING IN AN OLD HOUSE. AND IF YOU BECOME KIND OF BLIND TO THE IDIOSYNCRASIES, THE CRACKS IN THE WALLS, THE MD,OL IT LEACHES, AND IT MUTATES. AND PRETTY SOON YOU BECOME NOSE BLIND TO IT, NOT TO MENTION NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE IT. AND THOSE CRACKS AND FAILUSRE ULTIMATELY WILL BRING YOU DOWN. IT’S THE BACKLASH AGAINST CRITICAL RACE THEORY, OUR DESIRE NOT TO WANT TO TEACH HISTORY IN IT S FULL COMPLEXITY. I THINK THAT ALL SPEAK TO THAT, AND HAVING PEOPLE ACTIVELY PUSH BACK AGAINST THE CONVERSATIOISN TROUBLING. SOLEDAD: YOU’VE STUDIED MALCOLM X, FANNIE LOU HAMER TOFHE BLACK PANTHERS, EVERY MAJOR FIGURE, OBVIOUSLY IN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. WHEN YOU LOOK AT TODAY, WHO HAS THE VISION? WHERE IS THE VISION? YOHURU: I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT THAT WE RECOGNIZE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MOVEMENTS AND MOMENTS. MOVEMENTS ARE SUSTAINABLE. WE — THEY’RE MEASURED SOMETIMES IN DECADES. AND WE DON’T WANT TO MAKE THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE 1960’S CONTINUES. THAT WAS A DISTINCT MOMENT. THIS MOMENT REQUIRED NEW LEADERS TO KIND OF REIMAGINE THE CONTOURS OF THESE CONVERSATIONS AROUND RACE, POLICING, HOUSING, THE SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH. AND I’VE BEEN INSPIRED BY WHAT I’VE SEEN, BECAUSE THEY’RE TAKING ON SOME OF THOSE OTHER ISSUES THAT WERE EMBEDDED, DEALING WITH SEXISM WITHIN MOVEMENTS THEMSELVES, TACKLING THE ISSUE OF HOMOPBIHOA. SOLEDAD: WHO ARE THE LEADERS OF THIS NEW VISION? YOHURU: I THINK IT’S INTERESTING BECAUSE TH’E’VE ADOPTED A LEADERLESS MODEL. TODAY, THEY ACTUALLY PRIVILEGE THIS IDEA THAT WHEN YOU VEHA LEADERS, IT’S EASY TO TAKE THOSE LEADERS OUT, BECAUSE IT MAKES IT SO EASY THEN, IF THE FLAWS OF THAT INDIVIDUAL ARE EXPOSED, TO WRITE OFF THE ENTIRE MOVEMENT ITSELF. REQUIRES NOTHING OF US AND EVERYTHING OF THAT INDIVIDUAL. THEY ARE LEFT TO CARRY THE BURDENS OF THIS. IT’S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT I THINK THAT IT’S IMPORTANT THAT WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS WHOLE NARRATIVE ABOUT CHARISMATIC LEADERSHIP BEING OUR WAY FORWARD IS WRONG. WE DON’T NEED ANOTHER MARTIN LUTHER KING. WE DON’T NEED ANOTHER FANNIE LOU HAMER. WHAT WE NEED ARE EVERYDAY PEOPLE MTOAKE A COMMITMENT TO JUSTICE IN MEANINGFUL WAYS. SOLEDAD: YOU THINK WE’RE IN A MOMENT WHERE PEOPLE ARE DECIDING TO SPEAKP? U YOHURU: I DO THINK PEOPLE TODAY ARE MORE APT TO SEE THEIR VOICE AS BEING RELEVANT AND SIGNIFICANT IN LARGER CONVERSATIS.ON WE CAN THANK SOCIAL MEDIA, WHICH OFTEN TSGE DERIDED FOR THIS, AS BEING PART OF ATTH. SO I THINK THAT’S A POSITIVE. AT THE SAME TIME, WHEN YOU SEE THE FRUSTRATION, PARTICULARLY OVER ISSUES SUCH AS THE INABILITY TO DEAL WITH GUN VIOLENCE IN OUR SOCIETY, THE INABILITY TO DEAL WITH POLICE BRUTALITY, THE PERSISTENCE OF RACISM, THE NAGGING PERSISTENCE OF POVERTY. WHEN THAT DOESN’T TRANSLATE INTO REAL ACTION, IT LEAVES PEOPLE FRUSTRATED, AND THAT’S WHERE THE HOPE GOES OUT THE DO.OR SOLEDAD: WHY ARE YOU HOPEFUL? YOHURU: WHEN CONGRESSMAN JNOH LEWIS PASSED, HE WROTE A PIECE FOR “THE NEW YORK TIMES,” HIS FINAL LETTER TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE PUBLISHED POSTHUMOUSLY, IN WHICH HE ARTICUTED LAWHAT I LIKE TO CALL THE LEWIS DOCTRINE. AND PART OF IT WAS THIS IDEA THAT THESE ARE HARD MOMENTS IN AMERICA RIGHT NOW, BUT OUR SECOND SPRING IS COMG.IN WE HAVE TO DIG INTO THIS HDAR EARTH, WE HAVE TO PUSH THROUGH THIS UNCOMFORT, DISCOMFORT, BECAUSE ULTIMATELY THAT’S WHAT WE’RE AIMING FOR. WE CERTAINLY WANT TO CELEBRATE THEN THE IDEA THAT WE VEHA A LOT OF POWER IN THIS MOMENT TO REALLY DEFINE WHAT OUR FUTURE LOOKS LIKE. AND I’M HOPEFUL ABOUT THAT. SOLEDAD: DR. WILLIAMS, NICE TO TALKO TYOU. YOHURU: THAN

Philadelphia apologizes for experiments on Black inmates

Updated: 3:29 PM CDT Oct 8, 2022

The city of Philadelphia issued an apology Thursday for the unethical medical experiments performed on mostly Black inmates at its Holmesburg Prison from the 1950s through the 1970s.The move comes after community activists and families of some of those inmates raised the need for a formal apology. It also follows a string of apologies from various U.S. cities over historically racist policies or wrongdoing in the wake of the nationwide racial reckoning after the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. The city allowed University of Pennsylvania researcher Dr. Albert Kligman to conduct the dermatological, biochemical and pharmaceutical experiments that intentionally exposed about 300 inmates to viruses, fungus, asbestos and chemical agents including dioxin — a component of Agent Orange. The vast majority of Kligman’s experiments were performed on Black men, many of whom were awaiting trial and trying to save money for bail, and many of whom were illiterate, the city said.Kligman, who would go on to pioneer the acne and wrinkle treatment Retin-A, died in 2010. Many of the former inmates would have lifelong scars and health issues from the experiments. A group of the inmates filed a lawsuit against the university and Kligman in 2000 that was ultimately thrown out because of a statute of limitations. Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said in the apology that the experiments exploited a vulnerable population and the impact of that medical racism has extended for generations.”Without excuse, we formally and officially extend a sincere apology to those who were subjected to this inhumane and horrific abuse. We are also sorry it took far too long to hear these words,” Kenney wrote. Last year, the University of Pennsylvania issued a formal apology and took Kligman’s name off some honorifics like an annual lecture series and professorship. The university also directed research funds to fellows focused on dermatological issues in people of color.

PHILADELPHIA —

The city of Philadelphia issued an apology Thursday for the unethical medical experiments performed on mostly Black inmates at its Holmesburg Prison from the 1950s through the 1970s.

The move comes after community activists and families of some of those inmates raised the need for a formal apology. It also follows a string of apologies from various U.S. cities over historically racist policies or wrongdoing in the wake of the nationwide racial reckoning after the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.

The city allowed University of Pennsylvania researcher Dr. Albert Kligman to conduct the dermatological, biochemical and pharmaceutical experiments that intentionally exposed about 300 inmates to viruses, fungus, asbestos and chemical agents including dioxin — a component of Agent Orange. The vast majority of Kligman’s experiments were performed on Black men, many of whom were awaiting trial and trying to save money for bail, and many of whom were illiterate, the city said.

Kligman, who would go on to pioneer the acne and wrinkle treatment Retin-A, died in 2010. Many of the former inmates would have lifelong scars and health issues from the experiments. A group of the inmates filed a lawsuit against the university and Kligman in 2000 that was ultimately thrown out because of a statute of limitations.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said in the apology that the experiments exploited a vulnerable population and the impact of that medical racism has extended for generations.

“Without excuse, we formally and officially extend a sincere apology to those who were subjected to this inhumane and horrific abuse. We are also sorry it took far too long to hear these words,” Kenney wrote.

Last year, the University of Pennsylvania issued a formal apology and took Kligman’s name off some honorifics like an annual lecture series and professorship. The university also directed research funds to fellows focused on dermatological issues in people of color.