84th Historia Medica Lecture: ‘When Disparities Remain: The Enduring Legacy of Segregated Medicine’

 Registration is closed for this event
The 84th Historia Medica lecture will feature WashU alum and scholar Dr. Ezelle Sanford III, now an Assistant Professor at Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. Sanford teaches courses in the history of American medicine, public health and African American history.

Bernard Becker Medical Library, in collaboration with the Center for History of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine, presents this lecture series on the history of medicine. Lectures are free and open to the public.

The 84th Historia Medica lecture will feature:

Ezelle Sanford III, PhD
Assistant Professor, History
Carnegie Mellon University

Dr. Ezelle Sanford III is an Assistant Professor at Carnegie Mellon University where he teaches courses in the history of American medicine and public health as well as African American history. Dr. Sanford is currently working on a book manuscript titled, "Segregated Medicine: How Racial Politics Shaped American Healthcare," which is under contract with Columbia University Press.

"Segregated Medicine" utilizes the important case of St. Louis's Homer G. Phillips Hospital, the largest Black-serving U.S. general hospital in the mid-twentieth century, to trace how the logic and legacy of racial segregation established enduring structures of health inequity. Dr. Sanford's scholarship uses historical perspectives and analysis to inform his advocacy for an equitable future in American healthcare.

An alumnus of Washington University in St. Louis where he was a John B. Erin scholar, and Princeton University where he completed his doctoral studies, Dr. Sanford previously served as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Program on Race, Science and Society at the University of Pennsylvania. His scholarship has been supported by the Ford Foundation, The Center for Africanamerican Urban Studies and the Economy, and Johns Hopkins University, among other institutions. His scholarship has appeared in both academic and popular outlets including National Geographic, the American Journal of Public Health, Black Perspectives, Informal History, and the Journal of the National Medical Association.

This is a hybrid event: Attend in person, and register below to receive an email reminder before the event.

Unable to join us on campus? Tune in remotely: wustl-hipaa.zoom.us/j/93334961266.

In Their Own Words: Stories of Desegregation at Washington University Medical Center

After Dr. Sanford's lecture, join us in Glaser Gallery for a reception to celebrate the opening of our latest exhibit, "In Their Own Words: Stories of Desegregation at Washington University Medical Center." On display through June 9.

Learn more »

Forum on Medicine, Race and Ethnicity in St. Louis, Past to future

The Medical Humanities Program and the Center for Race, Ethnicity & Equity will co-host a Forum on Medicine, Race, and Ethnicity in St. Louis, Past to Future

Along with a welcome by Gerald Early, the Merle Kling Professor of Modern Letters and director of the Center for Race, Ethnicity and Equity, and keynote address by Will Ross, MD, associate dean of diversity at Washington University School of Medicine, 22 speakers, including scholars, public health leaders, artists, and citizens of St. Louis, will take part in six moderated panels: 

  • The History and Legacy of Pruitt-Igoe
  • The History and Legacy of Homer G. Phillips Hospital 
  • Questions of Health and Wellbeing in the St. Louis Latin American Community
  • Bodies at Risk: Obstetrics, Trauma, and Disease
  • Questions of Health and Wellbeing in the St. Louis Asian Community
  • Activist and Reparative Art 

This is a public-facing event and all members of the university and broader St. Louis community are welcome. Event registration is encouraged and free of charge. Lunch will be offered to attendees.  

Learn more »


February 23rd, 2023 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Connor Auditorium (FLTC)
United States
Do you have questions about this event? Contact Us!