https://i.pinimg.com/236x/21/57/97/2157979884e336e409bc085351a76fba–mental-asylum-insane-asylum.jpg
When I first looked at this picture, I wasn’t quite sure what I was looking at. After a little digging and found out that the picture came from what was then called the “Hospital for the Negro Insane of Maryland.” (founded in 1910) We haven’t discussed asylum treatment of minorities very much in class, but our conversation today was a lot more about progress and optimism in the field of medicine in the early stages of the asylum, and this picture provides a stark contrast to the conversations we were having. What is hard to shake is how cramped those in the picture look and the fact that many of them are sleeping on the floor. This picture represents the neglect and mistreatment that was present even in an era of reformation. It also leaves me with a sickening feeling of anticipation for our conversations about the care or lack thereof of minorities with mental illness. #HMH #histmental2023 #mentalhealthmatters
