In the pre-antibiotic era, tuberculosis was one of the biggest killers humanity ever faced. The specter of the ‘great white plague’ hung over towns and cities across the world, cities like New York whose population boom in the early 20th century paved the way for this deadly disease to spread throughout crowded tenements. As tuberculosis rates in NYC reached a breaking point, city officials sought to solve the problem by establishing a sanatorium on Staten Island. But they quickly ran into an issue - who would be willing to work there, exposing themselves to this untreatable deadly disease? In The Black Angels: The Untold Story of the Nurses Who Helped Cure Tuberculosis, author Maria Smilios tells the story of the courageous nurses who worked at Sea View Hospital on Staten Island, facing the constant threat of disease and perpetual racism from patients, colleagues, and neighbors. Smilios brings these women’s stories to life, describing how they persevered in these difficult conditions to ultimately help bring about the cure for tuberculosis, for which they have only recently been recognized. Tune in for a fascinating discussion about a monumental time in tuberculosis history!
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