Medical experiments using African Americans did not start -- or stop -- with the infamous Tuskegee syphilis studies. From slaves in the18th century, to prisoners in the 20th, African Americans have at times endured brutal treatment done in the name of science.

This hour we'll look back at that history. Does it influence the healthcare that black Americans get today, or the choices that they make when dealing with medical professionals? We'll also talk about an effort to help to heal old wounds through the arts -- the 'bioethics quilt project,' and hear about a new study that examines the difference in life expectancy between blacks and whites.

Then--attack of the earthworms. An invasion of worms is threatening forests in the Northeast. We'll find out why worms might not be your garden's best friend. Call in with your questions and comments at 1-800-989-8255 (3-4 Eastern). Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.

Guests:
Harriet Washington
Author,"Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present." (Random House, 2007)
Visiting Scholar, DePaul University School of Law
New York, New York

Muhjah Shakir
Assistant Professor, Occupational Therapy
Bioethics Senior Scholar
National Center for Bioethics in Research and Health Care
Tuskegee University
Tuskegee, Alabama

Sam Harper
Research Fellow, Department of Epidemiology
McGill University
Montreal, Quebec, Canada

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Peter M. Groffman
Principal Investigator
Institute of Ecosystem Studies
Millbrook, New York

Books/Articles Discussed:

"Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present" by Harriet Washington. (Random House, 2007.

(find books discussed on previous broadcasts)

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This segment produced by Annette Heist