In this week's episode, Cara is joined by Maria Smilios to uncover the untold story of the Black nurses at Seaview Hospital and their courageous fight against tuberculosis in the 1920s and 1930s. Together, they explore how these nurses stepped into dangerous roles abandoned by others, seizing rare professional opportunities despite facing broken promises and lower pay. The conversation dives into the erasure of their contributions from public memory, revealing how media coverage focused on doctors while the nurses’ vital work went largely unrecognized. Drawing powerful parallels to the COVID-19 pandemic, the episode highlights persistent disparities in healthcare and the ongoing impact of racial bias.
Maria Smilios is the author of The Black Angels: The Untold Story of the Nurses Who Helped Cure Tuberculosis as well as an award-winning author, keynote speaker, and adjunct lecturer at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. Born and raised in New York City, she holds a Master of Arts in American Literature and Religion from Boston University. Her book The Black Angels won the 2024 Christopher Award in Literature, was a finalist for the Gotham Book Prize and the NASW Science in Society Journalism Award, selected as an NPR Science Friday Summer Read, and shortlisted for the English PEN Literary Award. She has been honored by New York City and State for her “outstanding service” and “positive contribution” to the people of New York, and her work inspired the Staten Island Museum’s exhibit Taking Care: The Black Angels of Sea View, on display through 2025. Most recently, the City of New York officially named a street Black Angels Way in recognition of this legacy.
Key Takeaways
- 00:08:42 - Black nurses were recruited to Seaview Hospital during the late 1920s and 1930s because white nurses left due to the dangers of tuberculosis, offering Black nurses rare professional opportunities despite lower pay and broken promises about housing.
- 00:13:01 - The story of the Black Angels was largely erased from public memory, with nurses receiving little recognition for their role in caring for TB patients and contributing to the cure, as media coverage focused almost exclusively on doctors.
- 00:19:25 - The COVID-19 pandemic in New York City highlighted ongoing disparities in healthcare, echoing the historical neglect of marginalized communities seen during the tuberculosis crisis, and inspired a new direction for the book’s narrative.
- 00:34:36 - Black nurses at Seaview Hospital played a pivotal role in fighting for workplace equity, ultimately helping to desegregate the American Nurses Association and New York City hospitals through sustained advocacy and collaboration.
- 00:41:22 - Racial bias in healthcare persisted long after desegregation, with Black nurses and doctors frequently facing discrimination from patients and colleagues, a legacy that continues to affect the profession today.
- 00:48:15 - "The Black Angels" book is available in audio, Kindle, and hardback formats, with the authorized edition featuring a white cover; the audiobook has received notable praise for its narration.
