Tuskegee Redux

Long after the infamous Tuskegee experiments, African-American men in Holmesburg Prison in Philadelphia were being experimented on by private companies such as Johnson & Johnson. Instead of syphilis, these companies and dermatologists hired by them conducted skin experiments on hundreds of prisoners. The lead doctor was quoted as saying that “acres of skin” [...]

I Took a Shower With a She-He

This morning, I (Justin) thought I’d be proactive and get up early to go to yoga. (I’ve been doing yoga for a year, which will be the subject of a coming post.) My father, who introduced me to yoga, warned me that “all the black women at yoga are butt ugly.” (smile) I never expect [...]

Black Athletes As Slaves

Bill Rhoden, a sportswriter for the New York Times, has written Forty Million Dollar Slaves: The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of the Black Athlete. Rhoden argues against the belief that professional sports is a haven for meritocracy and color blindness. The main reason is that black are not significantly part of the [...]