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Black Men were Experimented on in CIA-Sponsored Drug Studies in Kentucky

Incarcerated Black men were experimented on for decades (1947-1974) in unethical research at the Addiction Research Center (ARC) in Lexington, KY

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.

Want to sign up for an information session?

If you would like to come and learn more about the study and how to get involved, fill out our sign-up form below.

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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 (TBD)

In-person listening circles will be in Lexington, location TBD
Virtual listening circles will be on Zoom

Compensation

Participants will be compensated $75 for their time

Food

Light food and refreshments will be provided

Are you interested in participating in our study?

If you are interested in joining our listening circles and would like to contribute to this important study, please fill out the sign-up using the button below!

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Our Team

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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, B.A.

Sheldomar Elliott, B.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.

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.

Learn More

75 Laurier Ave. E

Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5

Canada

Selli074@uottawa.ca

(416) 453-5161

Monnica.Williams@uottawa.ca or

(343) 961-1290