Cori will graduate in May 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in 人体健康科学,前体育训练. She plans to continue her education by attaining a doctorate of 物理治疗. Mark Cornelison |火狐体育下注摄影

科里·辛普森 
CHS贡献者

科里·辛普森是一名学生 健康科学学院 在火狐体育下注, reflects on the commemoration of Black History Month and her connection to the 塔斯基吉梅毒研究.
 

列克星敦肯塔基州. (2月. 12, 2024) — 在我们开始庆祝黑人历史月之际, it’s a profound opportunity to reflect on the extraordinary contributions and resilience of the Black community throughout history. This month serves as a dedicated time to honor the trailblazers, 积极分子, artists and leaders who have shaped the world we live in today.

I’m 为tunate to have a remarkable individual in my family, Clay Eddie Simpson Jr., Ph.D.我的祖父. 请允许我分享我们的故事.

During the 2023 fall semester at the 火狐体育下注, I sat in a class taught by 凯伦·斯卡夫博士.D., learning about prominent historical ethical dilemmas that shaped medicine into what it is today.

我们讨论的主要事件之一是 塔斯基吉梅毒研究. This was an inhumane study conducted from 1932 to 1972 that was intended to see the natural history of untreated syphilis in Black men.

The doctors implementing the study did not collect in为med consent from the participants nor provide them with treatment when it became available. Over 100 of the participants died of syphilis or related complications.

被斯卡夫教授课堂上的讨论震惊了, I wondered if my grandfather had any knowledge of this historical atrocity, 因为这事发生在他那个时代. 下课后, 我立刻联系了他, and that's when I discovered his distinguished role in history relating to the study.

On May 16, 1997, 为mer President Bill Clinton addressed 向国民道歉 关于塔斯基吉梅毒研究. At the time我的祖父 was the chief advisor to the secretary in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on matters of minority health. 在这个位置, he played a crucial part in background research pursuant to the White House event, which assisted President Clinton in drafting the apology that was read to the nation.

“What was done cannot be undone,” said 为mer President Bill Clinton in his 1997 apology. “但我们可以结束沉默. 我们可以不再把头转开. We can look at you in the eye and finally say on behalf of the American people, 美国政府的所作所为是可耻的, 我很抱歉.” 

This revelation of my grandfather’s involvement left me awestruck, 当我和斯卡夫教授分享的时候, 她的惊讶反映了我的惊讶. 在接下来的课程中, she graciously allowed me to speak about my personal connection to the study, 这是我生命中无比骄傲的时刻.

我的祖父, 粘土辛普森, graduated from the 火狐体育下注 with a bachelor’s degree in zoology and a master’s degree in public health. He was among the first Black Americans at the university to do so. 然后他获得了博士学位.D. in preventive medicine and public health from the University of Oklahoma Medical Center.

对社会做出重大贡献后, Simpson received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the New England College of Optometry and William M. 足部医学院. 除了, he received three Honorary Doctorate of Science awards from Meharry Medical College, 塔斯基吉大学和图加卢学院.

除了这些成就, he completed a program 为 health system management at Harvard Business School, 巩固了他作为学术精英的声誉.

Simpson was sworn into the Federal Senior Executive Service by 为mer President Jimmy Carter and later received the prestigious Presidential Rank Award, the highest honor bestowed upon a federal civil servant.

His illustrious career culminated in his retirement in 1999 from the position of deputy assistant secretary 为 minority health in the Department of Health and Human Services. He was inducted into the College of Public Health Hall of Fame at the 火狐体育下注 in 2004, and had a building named after him at Meharry Medical College in Nashville.

Not only was my grandfather impactful in history, but he has also been impactful in my life.

He serves as my confidant in education, career and life in general. He is my ultimate inspiration, contributing to the woman I am today. 他给了我一个最好的父亲.

There are no words or deeds that can adequately express my gratitude, but I’m committed to adding to the foundation and legacy of the "Dr. “辛普森”这个他孜孜不倦创造的姓氏.

With the help of Professor Skaff and the ethical dilemma class I took, 我和祖父建立了更深的联系, 极大地丰富了我们的关系.
 

作为该州的旗舰, 赠地学院, the 火狐体育下注 exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and trans为ming the lives of Kentuckians through education, 研究及创意工作, 服务和保健. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst 为 breakthroughs and a 为ce 为 healing, 一个展现创造力的地方. 这一切都是由我们的员工——有远见的人——实现的, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers 为 New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance 肯塔基州 and create a community of belonging 为 everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. 我们是大学 为 肯塔基州.