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"My Grandparents lived in Tennessee in the 1930s. There were no schools for blacks."
Submitted by: Gregory Diggs, Denver, CO
I have a story about race relations AND medicine that includes your time period. Highlights include the following: My Grandparents lived in Tennessee in the 1930s. There were no schools for blacks. In 1938, my Grandmother, her father and other blacks went to the courthouse to ask for a school for black children. The judge resisted, observing that: "Negroes could not learn". My grandfather replied, "They've got brains, don't they?" The judge agreed that if the people could find 24 students and a place to have school, a teacher would be provided. The Negroes found a church and 23 students. My father, 2yrs old, was pulled out of the playpen to become the 24th student for the new school. For high school and college, my grandparents moved to another town so that they could support their children going to school. The Diggs boys went to Lane College in Jackson, TN. My father studied biology...but also was one of the first black disc jockeys for WJAK...the program director was Wink Martindale. Before graduating, he was encouraged by the station to become a professional DJ. My dad declined, and left for grad school. Interlude: in college, my father became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity...the first black frat. In the fifties, he attended the national convention in Detroit. His program was signed by Louis Sullivan...one of "the Sullivan brothers" from Morehouse. My father, the little boy from the playpen, went on to earn a Ph.D. in Neurology and Endocrinology from Howard University. He served as Deputy Director of the National Institutes of Allergies and Infectious Disease under Tony Fauci. He later was Deputy Director of the National Institutes of Health (Director of Extramural Research) working for Bernadine Healy, who was the Director. Together, they both instituted a policy that institutions who received NIH grants had to include women and minorities in clinical trials, or provide justification why they did not. It is important to note, that my father's appointment as Deputy Director of NIH had to be approved by the Secretary of Health and Human Services....Louis Sullivan!!! [ha. now that's a story!] From the black community in the 30's struggling for an opportunity for education. To the intersection of black college student and the new wave of radio programming (race music) with a pop culture icon. To the success of a black scientist who received recognition from the White House (2 times from Ronald Reagan, once from George Bush). And as an epilogue, I am black (son of Dr. Diggs) with a Ph.D. in education married to a white woman with a Ph.D. (from Johns Hopkins) in public health. What do you think about that! PS: And, my daughter, who is 8, has planned to be a scientist since graduating from kindergarten. My son, 5 years, is now making similar plans. So, I'm bragging as a proud son and parent. But I think I've got a race and medicine story that will compete with anybody's. I hope you agree.
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