Macon County, Alabama
Macon County is located in an area called "the Black Belt." All counties involved in this belt have a majority black population, which is why many assume that is the origin of the name. In actuality, the name came about because the area's soil is very rich and dark. Macon County was originally a very rich and populated county; agricultural labor was excessive because of the rich farmland and the cotton culture. However, by 1850, the harsh practices of the time "farmed out" most of the cropland, leading to a decline in labor. By 1930, the population was 27,103, with 22,320 being African Americans.
By 1932, around the time the Tuskegee Syphilis experiment began to form, Macon County was in bad conditions. There were about 5,205 farm dwelling units, 4,500 which needed repair and had no running water. The average income was about 1-2 dollars a day. Racial tensions were also still high, contributing to the continuing decline in population, people leaving for the North where they believed conditions would be better. Macon County is where the now Tuskegee University (then the Tuskegee Institute) was founded by Booker T. Washington.
The Tuskegee Institute was founded in 1881 as a place for African American education and academia in general. It was highly revered by the African American community as well as the general public; however, whites praised it along the lines of being a 'black institute,' not solely an institute of high merit. The US Public Health Service worked alongside the Tuskegee Institute, collaborating by doing the research on their campus as well as having Dr. Dibble assist, the main doctor at the John Andrews Hospital that was on campus of Tuskegee Institute. Many physicians and residents of the Institute and its hospital actually assisted with the study, especially Nurse Rivers who was trained at Tuskegee Institute. It is unclear to what extent they were aware of their doings at the time. The Institute and its hospital thought they were funding a program that would provide better healthcare and increase public health in their low populated, impoverished area. Unfortunately, how wrong they were.
It's important to understand the current economic and social conditions during the time of the Tuskegee Syphilis experiment, because it explains a great deal about the participants that were involved in the study. Without any good health care facilities, and given the opportunity for free treatment (what they believed was treatment), any man eligible jumped at the chance to participate. Their willingness and support of the study was only because they believed they were going to get free medication as well as monetary incentives later on. At this point, trust was wavering, but still strong, between the African American community and medical community.
Macon County is located in an area called "the Black Belt." All counties involved in this belt have a majority black population, which is why many assume that is the origin of the name. In actuality, the name came about because the area's soil is very rich and dark. Macon County was originally a very rich and populated county; agricultural labor was excessive because of the rich farmland and the cotton culture. However, by 1850, the harsh practices of the time "farmed out" most of the cropland, leading to a decline in labor. By 1930, the population was 27,103, with 22,320 being African Americans.
By 1932, around the time the Tuskegee Syphilis experiment began to form, Macon County was in bad conditions. There were about 5,205 farm dwelling units, 4,500 which needed repair and had no running water. The average income was about 1-2 dollars a day. Racial tensions were also still high, contributing to the continuing decline in population, people leaving for the North where they believed conditions would be better. Macon County is where the now Tuskegee University (then the Tuskegee Institute) was founded by Booker T. Washington.
The Tuskegee Institute was founded in 1881 as a place for African American education and academia in general. It was highly revered by the African American community as well as the general public; however, whites praised it along the lines of being a 'black institute,' not solely an institute of high merit. The US Public Health Service worked alongside the Tuskegee Institute, collaborating by doing the research on their campus as well as having Dr. Dibble assist, the main doctor at the John Andrews Hospital that was on campus of Tuskegee Institute. Many physicians and residents of the Institute and its hospital actually assisted with the study, especially Nurse Rivers who was trained at Tuskegee Institute. It is unclear to what extent they were aware of their doings at the time. The Institute and its hospital thought they were funding a program that would provide better healthcare and increase public health in their low populated, impoverished area. Unfortunately, how wrong they were.
It's important to understand the current economic and social conditions during the time of the Tuskegee Syphilis experiment, because it explains a great deal about the participants that were involved in the study. Without any good health care facilities, and given the opportunity for free treatment (what they believed was treatment), any man eligible jumped at the chance to participate. Their willingness and support of the study was only because they believed they were going to get free medication as well as monetary incentives later on. At this point, trust was wavering, but still strong, between the African American community and medical community.
For more information on today's status of Macon County, including statistics and changes, see these results from census dating back to 2007 to now:
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/01/01087.html
For more information on Macon and Tuskegee Institute:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuskegee_University,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuskegee_syphilis_experiment
http://www.med.navy.mil/bumed/Documents/Healthcare%20Ethics/Racism-And-Research.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuskegee_University,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuskegee_syphilis_experiment
http://www.med.navy.mil/bumed/Documents/Healthcare%20Ethics/Racism-And-Research.pdf