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The occupation was inevitable. It “had to be done because it was the only way they would have listened to us,” said Martha Davis. In July 1970, Davis and over 300 people with drug addictions marched into Harlem Hospital and occupied two vacant floors to jumpstart treatment themselves. Their sit-in lasted for at least 25 days.
This was the work of the United Harlem Drug Fighters (UHDF), of which Davis was executive director. By 1971, their new 24-hour detoxification program serviced 9,000 patients. Of these, 84% were adolescents. But UHDF wasn’t just concerned with treatment. Davis acknowledged the police corruption and influx of drugs at the root of the crisis. When senators came to visit, she gave them a demonstration they’d never forget: handing a boy $10, who returned in five minutes with five baggies of heroin.
In 1974, the City Investigations Commissioner accused the UHDF of “fiscal irregularities.” That same year, police shot Davis’ husband. Despite these attacks, the program’s approach to addiction still left a legacy committed to preserving life.
Between 1975 and 2019, the prison population in the U.S. soared from 240,593 to 1.43 million. Of these, 20% were incarcerated chiefly on drug offenses.
The UHDF’s liberation of Harlem Hospital reminds us that, despite institutional inaction and corruption, we can take matters into our own hands. How can we adapt this blueprint in our struggle for liberation today?