Dear Patient,
Lincoln Hospital in the south Bronx had been in steady decline for decades. By the late 1960s, community organizers had logged thousands of complaints about substandard care, unsanitary conditions, and even rat bites on babies in the infant ward. Meanwhile, the surrounding community was feeling the devastating effects of heroin. Residents wanted better.
In 1970 a group of community activists took over Lincoln Hospital and presented a list of demands to the city, including the need for effective, non-pharmaceutical drug addiction treatments. The occupation of Lincoln Hospital gave birth to Lincoln Detox, a comprehensive drug detoxification program which included mental health counseling, political activism, community service, and acupuncture.
The efforts of these community activists eventually led to the creation of NADA, the National Acupuncture Detox Association, and later to the modern community acupuncture movement. The proliferation of acupuncture as a safe and effective means for treating addictions, mental health conditions and chronic pain is rooted in the work of these activists fifty years ago.
So who were these people who occupied their neighborhood hospital and demanded better care? They were members of the Young Lords, a Puerto Rican activist group, and the Black Panther Party. In fact, the Black Panthers were some of the first non-Asian acupuncturists in the United States. They learned from doctors in Canada and China and brought the medicine home to their communities.
On this final day of Black History Month, I’m grateful to the trailblazing Black acupuncturists who fought for better care for their community. My own community is healthier because of them.
Acupuncture history is Black History. It’s a piece of history I didn’t learn in acupuncture school, but it’s heavily influenced the way I practice today. The story of theses radical Black acupuncturists from the 1970s is part of American history. It’s community health history. It’s our history.
Love and gratitude,
Your Acupuncturist
There is so much more to this story, and I can’t possibly do it justice in a few short paragraphs. For a deep dive, I highly recommend the film Dope is Death by Mia Donavan, and its accompanying podcast of the same title.
One of the leading acupuncturists at Lincoln Detox was Dr. Mutulu Shakur, who has been a federal prisoner since 1986. Many acupuncturists and acupuncture organizations, including NADA, support his compassionate release.
If you’re an acupuncturist, you owe it to yourself and your patients to do some continuing education in racial justice, racial trauma, and increasing BIPOC access to healthcare. I highly recommend Dr. Tenisha Dandridge’s courses, available through Acupuncturists Without Borders.
Thanks for this history - I didn't know this......