Episode #222: Joyce Marie Fitzpatrick and Brian Shackelford – Producers/Directors of the Film The Color of Medicine: The Story of Homer G. Phillips Hospital About the First All-Black Hospital

The guests for this episode are Joyce Marie Fitzpatrick and Brian Shackelford, the co-producers and co-directors of the documentary The Color of Medicine: The Story of Homer G. Phillips Hospital. This documentary sheds a light on the disparity between the medical treatment that the African-American community receives as opposed to others; something that we are really seeing these days with the COVID pandemic and the recent Black Lives Matter protests. The Color of Medicine not only tells the astonishing history of the first all-black hospital in St. Louis, but also recognizes and celebrates the achievements of the brave healthcare workers who were among the first black physicians and nurses to be medically trained in the United States. Using this documentary as a framework, this discussion with Joyce Marie Fitzpatrick and Brian Shackelford puts into account the world we are living in right now during the COVID pandemic and the recent Black Lives Matter protests. Many of the stories of the Homer G. Phillips Hospital really parallel things still happening today with Black people in America. This talk with Joyce and Brian is an excellent example of the type of discussions that need to happen between white and Black people, as they not only share things from the history of the hospital, but we share our own experiences and compare outcomes from the white and black perspective. Items Mentioned In Episode: – BLACKPINK “How You Like That” – Calico – The Everyday Junglist Podcast Episode 4 (5.10.2010) – Slay the Dragon (Film) – The Color of Medicine: The Story of Homer G. Phillips Hospital (Film) – Black Lives Matter – Hidden Orchard Mysteries (teen mystery-comedy film from Joyce Marie Fitzpatrick and Brian Shackelford) THEME MUSIC Courtesy of STEVE O. Check out more music at eyeamsteveo.bandcamp.com. Support via Patreon If you want to support Fresh is the Word, please consider pledging via Patreon at Patreon.com/freshistheword. Support via Paypal If you don’t want to do Patreon, you can donate via Paypal: PayPal.Me/kfreshistheword