CDC Foundation Launches Scholarship Program For Descendants Of Tuskegee Syphilis Study Victims

The CDC Foundation has introduced a scholarship initiative designed for the descendants of the Black men who were subjects of the Tuskegee Syphilis Study.

On Feb. 7, the CDC Foundation introduced a groundbreaking scholarship initiative, “Voices Today for Change Tomorrow,” designed for the descendants of Black men who were subjects of the infamous U.S. Public Health Service Study of Untreated Syphilis at Tuskegee, according to Essence. This 40-year study, which ran from 1932 to 1972, is a dark chapter in U.S. medical history, marked by severe ethical violations endured by the Tuskegee Syphilis study victims.

The CDC Foundation goal is to raise a $5 million endowment—led by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s $1 million gift—to support the current Voices For Our Fathers Legacy Foundation scholarships and to offer several $100,000 scholarships annually to the study’s descendants.

“By making a commitment to honor the legacy of these men, we are working to provide a stronger foundation of support for the next generation to build change. These scholarships are intended to amplify the voices of the next generation,” said Judy Monroe, M.D., president and CEO of the CDC Foundation

Added Lillie Head, president of Voices For Our Fathers Legacy Foundation, “Our purpose is to transform the legacy of the longest-lasting, non-therapeutic study in U.S. medical history from shame and trauma to honor and triumph.”

“It seeks to uplift the descendants of the Untreated Syphilis Study at Tuskegee and takes steps toward rectifying a difficult part of our public health history,” said CDC Director Mandy Cohen of the scholarships.

The Milbank Memorial Fund, which acknowledged its role in the study in 2021, made the first institutional commitment to the scholarship fund in 2022. The fund also pledges to provide administrative support for the Voices For Our Fathers Legacy Foundation and the scholarship program. In addition to annual scholarships, the fund encourages recipients to attend historically Black colleges or universities (HBCUs).