2 chapters across the catalog
Riz Islam, a member of the "Disinformation Dozen," discusses Benjamin Rush, the "father of American psychiatry." Rush theorized that "negritude" was a form of leprosy that caused dark skin, providing a "scientific" justification for segregation. The hosts highlight how this historical medical racism is often omitted from modern biographies of the Founding Fathers.
Dr. Tweety explains the dearth of Black psychiatrists and the persistent stigma surrounding mental health care in the Black community. The hosts discuss how historical events like the Tuskegee study and the 1990s HIV/AIDS crisis involving Magic Johnson contributed to a culture of medical paranoia. This skepticism is presented as a rational, albeit stressful, response to a history of systemic "double-crosses."
