Black Men were Experimented on in CIA-Sponsored Drug Studies in Kentucky
Black men were experimented on for decades (1947-1974) in unethical research at the Addiction Research Center (ARC) in Lexington, KY
Can you imagine sending a loved one to a rehab facility, but instead they're experimented on without their consent? Instead of seeking treatment for substance use disorders, they were fed drugs for illegal testing?
During the Cold War, the CIA was interested in developing a "mind control" drug and sponsored extensive drug research in pursuit of this goal. This research focused primarily on LSD but also included studies on other substances such as opiates, amphetamines, and psychedelics. The Addiction Research Center (ARC), now known as the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), served as a dual prison and research facility, providing an ideal environment for unethical CIA-sponsored drug experiments. Inmates, most of whom were Black men, were subjected to inhumane and non-consensual studies, often without any knowledge of the drugs they were administered or the potential effects. Read more in our research paper here.
Fifty years later, we are reflecting on the impacts these events have had on the community. We are also seeking to understand how these injustices have remained concealed for so long. While we cannot undo the harm that has been done, we aim to document the true history of what occurred and its effects on the victims, their descendants, and the broader Black community in Lexington, Kentucky. To achieve this, we are organizing listening circles to hear from community members.
Research group holds listening session to uplift Black voices
Building a History
We want to hear your story. We are holding in-person and virtual group listening circles.
Listening Circles
Listening circles will be in groups of 5-10 and no longer than 90-minutes
Location - Virtual Sessions
In-person listening circles were held in Lexington.
Virtual listening circles will be on Zoom
Compensation
Participants will be compensated $75 for their time
Food
For in-person sessions, light food and refreshments will be provided
Quick Links to Learn More
Unveiling the Dark Secrets of MK Ultra and the Exploitation of Black Men (part 1)
Building a History: Uncovering the Unethical Research Against Black Men and the Community Legacy
The Racist Legacy of Cold War Science
Building a History: Mind Control Research in Kentucky
Historical Abuses and Community-Based Participatory Research
Our Team
Monnica Williams, Ph.D., ABPP
Monnica Williams, Ph.D., ABPP, is a board-certified clinical psychologist and the Canada Research Chair for Mental Health Disparities at the University of Ottawa. Previously, she taught at the University of Louisville, where she worked extensively with the Black community and served as Director of the Center for Mental Health Disparities. She has published over 100 articles on ethnic minority mental health, psychopathology research, and psychedelic therapy.
Sheldomar Elliott, M.A.
Sheldomar Elliott, M.A., is a Master of Arts student at the University of Ottawa, where he studies psychedelics and consciousness. With a background in food justice and community research, he is passionate about exploring the intersections of psychedelics with access, community, and healing. This drives his interest in the sociocultural dimensions of the growing psychedelic field. Focusing on racial trauma and anti-Black racism, Sheldomar ensures that equity and justice are always at the centre of his work.
Elishia Durrett- Johnson, M.Ed.
Elishia Durrett-Johnson, M.Ed., is the CEO & Clinical Director of Begin to Talk LLC. She is passionate about improving mental health outcomes and reducing stigma by increasing access to culturally competent counseling, providing community education, and supporting mental health providers. Elishia is the leader of the Mental Health Advisory Board for A Path Forward & the Louisville Urban League, where she coordinates large-scale programs that impact the mental health landscape for Black people in Louisville, KY.
Sara Reed, M.S.
Sara Reed is a Psychedelic Research Therapist in Psychopharmacology at Imperial College London. She has spent her early career examining how culture influences how we diagnose and treat mental illness. Born and raised in Hopkinsville, KY, Sara strives to make quality mental health treatment accessible to those in rural areas. In 2020, Sara joined the Healthcare leadership working group for AntiRacismKY, where she discussed policy recommendations to uproot institutional racism in Kentucky.
Lianna Tullis-Robinson, PhD Student
Lianna Tullis-Robinson is a doctoral student and researcher in the field of counseling psychology at Western Michigan University, as well as one of the primary graduates of the Vital certificate program in Psychedelic Therapies and Integration stewarded by Psychedelics Today. Her clinical expertise integrates compassion-focused cognitive psychotherapeutic approaches and psychedelia, mindfulness-based practices, and other behavioral interventions to support the process of change and to promote wellbeing. Lianna is dedicated to providing inclusive and affirming support for individuals from all backgrounds, with particular emphasis on trauma-informed psychedelic psychotherapeutic care for depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as to extend psychedelic care to members of historically marginalized populations.
Are you interested in a collaboration or partnership to support this project?
We are a group of Black researchers conducting a study to understand how these unethical research investigations have impacted individuals and families. If you would like to support this project, please connect with us using the form below.
The Lab for Culture and Mental Health Disparities
The mission of the Lab for Culture and Mental Health Disparities (CMHD) is to promote mental health and wellness in historically underserved groups through behavioral science, education, and service. Through multidisciplinary faculty collaborations, the CMHD engages in empirical rigor, community and university service, and dissemination of findings that subsequently lead to development of culturally sensitive therapies (CSTs). Our lab is also interested in mental health disparities broadly, such as disparities due to SES, sexual identity, mental health disability, and mental health stigma.
75 Laurier Ave. E
Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5
Canada
(416) 453-5161
Monnica.Williams@uottawa.ca or
(343) 961-1290
