Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired

Based on oral histories, government records, and manuscript collections at historically black colleges, Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired moves beyond the depiction of African Americans as mere recipients of aid or as victims of neglect and highlights the ways black health activists created public health programs and influenced public policy at every opportunity. Smith also sheds new light on the infamous Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment by situating it within the context of black public health activity, reminding us that public health work had oppressive as well as progressive consequences.