Even though Rivers was very dedicated to being a nurse within the Movable School, her messages only reached women. Because of the gender stereotypes of the time, she really only had the authority to inform and assist women, and women of her own race. These women were extremely poor, but were also completely responsible for the well-being of their families: caring for the sick, cleaning and cooking, and personal hygiene. Her lessons to women were varied, and she spent a great deal of time answering questions. When it came to men, the only message she ever passed on was about venereal diseases. Despite her hard work, many didn't believe she truly belonged in the profession, claiming "the negro woman has no place as a graduate nurse." When the Depression hit and people were laid off, Eunice Rivers lost her job, one of the reasons she quickly accepted the role with the Tuskegee experiment.
With all this background, and all her passion and care for patients, why did Eunice Rivers never challenge the Tuskegee study? Why didn't she fight back for all the African Americans affected, but rather took part?
On the flip side, others claim she didn't fight back because she was very lucky (and proud) to have achieved such a high position in the science world. She found the study to be of very high scientific merit, claiming that it was just like studying white men for syphilis. Rivers felt they would be comparing the two and finding the difference. Here, it's hard to tell whether Rivers was blinded by the racism that surrounded her or by the position and authority she was given. Eunice fell into the structure of the South; she allowed the blacks to be treated like guinea pigs because she didn't know any better. Even though they weren't getting the best treatment in the form of medications, they were getting so much more. Blacks in Alabama, especially Macon County, had never gotten this much attention from the white community. They were given care, attention, food and compensations. For Rivers, this made it okay for them to be participants. This shows just how blinded she was by the racism around her. Even though they were withholding treatment, they were giving more than they had ever given before. And because of that, Rivers felt the experiment was worth while, benefits outweighing risks.
For References:
http://voicesinbioethics.org/2013/10/14/revisiting-nurse-rivers/
http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/journal_of_womens_history/v008/8.1.smith.pdf