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.

posted 29 October 2006

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