Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present

Chapter 12 focuses on the complicated ways in which new discoveries in the field of genetics intertwine with race. Washington begins the chapter by noting how advances in genetic testing have proven to be an important boon for falsely imprisoned African Americans. For individuals falsely accused of rape such as Calvin Johnson, DNA testing (often referred to as “DNA fingerprinting”) has allowed for new evidence that proves their innocence. However, Washington notes that DNA testing has yet to perfectly ameliorate the number of individuals sentenced to false imprisonment, as the testing is often more expensive than what black inmates can afford, and in some instances, labs have purposefully falsified tests in support of convictions.

Washington is particularly wary of DNA due to the growth of numerous DNA governmental databases. These databases, such as the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System, keep permanent records of thousands of individual’s genetic data—many of whom have never been accused of a crime. Further, many of these genetic databases are predominantly (and in some cases exclusively) composed of the DNA of black or Latino individuals—a fact that Washington argues may predispose the justice system to seek convictions from people of color in searching for the perpetrator of a crime.