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Fighting the Sickle Cell Anemia Stigma
By J.R. Perry III
Cure every cell—a
sickle cell support group There’s quite a lot
of stigma toward the whole subject of sickle cell
anemia. People can feel guilty because they carry a gene
and they choose not to talk about it. So they need to
talk about it to start breaking down the barriers and
the stigma. People are a bit sensitive about screening
but you now can be enrolled on a program and start to
care for your baby with sickle cell anemia. Sickle cell
anemia can no longer be overlooked upon as a largely
black disorder. There has been the crossing of racial
boundaries with sickle cell.
Sickle cell anemia
has not been highlighted because it is a black disorder
so it has not received any spotlight with interracial
mixing. We are starting to see white babies born with
sickle cell anemia. Although times have changed people
still have a stigma about sickle cell anemia they think
it is a “curse of the devil.” Many physicians and
scientists both black and white have complained that
restrictions against blacks with the sickle cell trait
was a senseless stigma and unscientific suggestion that
their genes were somehow inferior in addition of its use
in barring blacks.
From the air force
academy the trait has also been cited by the Navy in
keeping blacks out of the submarine service and by the
Army although they will not allow the sickle cell trait
carriers to become aircrew members. This policy persists
in the Air Force itself despite today’s change in
admissions policy but it is under review. Blacks have
also been charged more money for insurance policies when
it was learned that they had the trait. Sickle cell
trait screening has not been limited to the military or
to the insurance companies in the chemical industry
theories have been expounded for years that sickle cell
trait carriers were at special risk in the chemical work
place.
The Dupont Company
said in February 1980 that it routinely gave
pre-employment blood test to all blacks to determine who
might be a sickle cell trait carrier. Today the law
would be condemned as racial profiling. The stigma was
made worse by a misunderstanding of the inheritance of
the condition contrary to report of premature deaths
carriers of the sickle cell gene were in almost all
cases, healthy genetic screening and public immunization
programs have also raised suspicions among blacks and
sickle cell anemia.
Screening programs
of the 1970’s created misinformation confusion and
feared inadequate planning and preparation on the part
of the medical profession and public health officials
and a disease and having it resulted in unnecessary
stigma and discrimination as a result. Of this confusion
and misinformation a great suspicion arose in the
African American community that the sickle cell policy
was another instrument of genocide. * * * *
*
J.R. Perry III
was born in Chicago, Illinois. As a child, his parents
moved to Los Angeles, California. At the age of 3 years
old J.R. became interested in music. J.R. was the
innovator of many musical groups throughout the 1970s
and 1980s. He also excelled as an instrumentalist. He
plays the keyboards, trombone, bass guitar—as well as
performs the task of drum programmer. J.R. has
developed many types of musical productions exhibiting
his talent to sing the diverse musical genre spectrum
from R&B, Hip-Hop, Pop, Gospel, Funk, and Jazz.
In addition to
singing, and television, J.R. started a record
production company adding entrepreneur to his resume. With a love for
music, J.R. started his own record label, Pro-Per
Records. He has released a hit single entitled
"Valentine Lover" which was played on various radio
stations in the United States, and widely accepted in
Europe.
Always looking for
new challenges—1990 seemed to be the year for
television. J.R. was offered the opportunity to produce
a cable access show. J.R.’s current
projects include songwriting, musical arrangement, and
television development. Also J.R. is performing
voice-overs for radio and television, he has written and
produced plays and sitcoms ready for the stage or
television.
jrperry3@aol.com
jrperry3@yahoo.com *
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 |
Panel on Literary Criticism
26 March 2010
National Black
Writers Conference
Patrick Oliver,
Kalamu ya Salaam, Dorothea Smartt, Frank Wilderson
discuss the use of literature to promote political
causes and instigate change and transformation. The
event is at the Medgar Evers College at the City
University of New York.
C-Span Archives
Panel on Politics and Satire
26 March 2010
National Black
Writers Conference
Herb Boyd, Thomas
Bradshaw, Charles Edison and Major Owens discuss how
current events are reflected in the writings of African
Americans. The event is at the Medgar Evers College at
the City University of New York.
C-Span Archives |
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posted 29 October 2006 |
