GUEST BLOG: Building a History: Uncovering the Unethical Research for Mind Control in Lexington, Kentucky

Did you know that Black men were experimented on for decades in search of a mind control drug? From 1947 to 1974, incarcerated Black men and other vulnerable inpatient populations were used and exploited in research studies held at the Addictions Research Center (ARC) in Lexington, Kentucky. These studies were funded by the CIA for their MK Ultra project in search of a substance that could be useful in warfare to disarm one’s disobedience. Trust us – the research studies are as horrific as they sound – but before we delve into the gritty details of what took place, let’s talk about how a group of Black researchers happened upon this hidden and critically overlooked history of unethical abuse that took place during the first wave of psychedelic science.