Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present

Washington frequently breaks the chronology of her history in order to tell related stories of abuse suffered by Black people in the present day. Since she is a historian, why might she choose this method of constructing her narrative, and how does it support the overall argument of her book?

Washington describes “iatrophobia” (the fear of medicine) as prevalent among African Americans to this day. What are some of the historical reasons for rampant iatrophobia? Are such fears still justified in the present day? Why or why not?

While Medical Apartheid is critical of the history of US medicine, Washington argues that therapeutic research focused on Black people remains a necessity. What steps could medical researchers take in designing medical experiments that focus on African Americans, and how could they assuage fears of abuse?