Ugly History: The U.S. Syphilis Experiment - Susan M. Reverby
620,669 Views
4,940 Questions Answered
TEDEd Animation
Let’s Begin…
Afflicting nearly 1 in 10 Americans, syphilis was ravaging the U.S. in the 1930s. Many doctors believed syphilis affected Black and white patients differently, and the Public Health Service launched an experiment to investigate, recruiting 600 Black men to take part. But the study was centered on a lie: the men wouldn’t actually receive treatment. Susan Reverby details the Tuskegee Syphilis Study.
Some journalists have argued that people refused the COVID vaccines because of mistrust over their knowledge of the syphilis study in Tuskegee. Had you heard of it before and did it affect you or your family?
Sign in to answer questionAbout TED-Ed Animations
TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »
Meet The Creators
- Educator Susan M. Reverby
- Director Rikke Planeta, Philip Piaget
- Narrator Christina Greer
- Storyboard Artist Rikke Planeta, Philip Piaget
- Animator Philip Piaget
- Art Director Federico Pirovano
- Producer The Animation Workshop, Bethany Cutmore-Scott
- Music Stephen LaRosa
- Sound Designer Stephen LaRosa
- Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
- Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal, Dan Kwartler
- Script Editor Iseult Gillespie
- Production Coordinator Abdallah Ewis
- Fact-Checker Jennifer Nam
