Author Harriet Washington to speak at Oakton College April 26

Noted science writer, editor and ethicist Harriet Washington will present "Building Equity in Health Care" during an appearance at 2 p.m. Friday, April 26, at Oakton Community College's Des Plaines campus, 1600 E. Golf Road, in Rooms 1604-1606.

Washington is the award-winning author of "Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present." The 2007 book that chronicles the history of medical experimentation on African Americans received numerous honors, including a National Book Critics Circle Award, the PEN Oakland Award and the American Library Association Black Caucus Nonfiction Award.

"We are very pleased to have a top-caliber speaker such as Harriet coming to Oakton," said Mario Borha, an assistant professor of mathematics and member of Oakton's Anti-Racism Team. "She will present medical history and its impact on current medical practice. The presentation also includes a discussion of the ways in which current and medical professionals can build equity into their practice to address medical disparities."

For more information, call (847) 635-1738 or visit www.oakton.edu/academics/special_programs/stem.