The movie, Miss Evers' Boys, came out in 1997 to very mixed reviews. Some thought it was a great representation of the Tuskegee syphilis experiment, while others thought it was a Hollywood-representation that didn't come close to the true horrors of the experiment itself. Eunice Evers is the fictional portrayal of Eunice Rivers, making most of the narrative through her perspective and her moral choices. Her "boys" are a small musical group, the first four participants in a medical experiment taking place in her town. While I found the movie to be very well done, I did feel like it focused a great deal on Eunice, and didn't really exhibit the conditions of the area during the actual Tuskegee experiment.
However, as stated by Herman Shaw in his White House statement, the men who participated in the study were not 'dancing boys like in the film.' They were hard working laborers, very poor and very desperate for any sort of medical care. Further, the way that they portray Eunice Evers does not equal the true Eunice Rivers, the main nurse associated with the Tuskegee experiment. Evers is well aware of the issues with the study and just how unethical it is; she constantly is struggling over what is morally right and if she should continue to obey or go against the study. The true Eunice Rivers never made this kind of admittance; she stood by the fact that she was doing her duty as a nurse and she put forth the most effort in order to care for all her patients. The film did, however, still bring up the tropes of racism and unethical practices of the government, two of the most important parts to remember from the study. This tells the audience yet again the importance of making sure that something like Tuskegee never happens again. Implementing ethical procedures and treating everyone equally are the only ways to survive as a united America.
Feel free to watch the video and tell your comments and opinions below! There was no link to a full video, so I'm sorry for the choppy transitions. Still very good though! (If you are a sucker for romance like me, skip right to part 4 and watch Caleb attempt to ask Evers out on a date...it's adorable.)
However, as stated by Herman Shaw in his White House statement, the men who participated in the study were not 'dancing boys like in the film.' They were hard working laborers, very poor and very desperate for any sort of medical care. Further, the way that they portray Eunice Evers does not equal the true Eunice Rivers, the main nurse associated with the Tuskegee experiment. Evers is well aware of the issues with the study and just how unethical it is; she constantly is struggling over what is morally right and if she should continue to obey or go against the study. The true Eunice Rivers never made this kind of admittance; she stood by the fact that she was doing her duty as a nurse and she put forth the most effort in order to care for all her patients. The film did, however, still bring up the tropes of racism and unethical practices of the government, two of the most important parts to remember from the study. This tells the audience yet again the importance of making sure that something like Tuskegee never happens again. Implementing ethical procedures and treating everyone equally are the only ways to survive as a united America.
Feel free to watch the video and tell your comments and opinions below! There was no link to a full video, so I'm sorry for the choppy transitions. Still very good though! (If you are a sucker for romance like me, skip right to part 4 and watch Caleb attempt to ask Evers out on a date...it's adorable.)
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