Racial pseudoscience about Black immunity exposed Black people to epidemic labor

Evidence

Both Jones and Allen set about raising funds from Black and white Philadelphians to establish churches. Before they could do so, a yellow fever epidemic struck the city. Many of the city’s white residents, including Dr. Benjamin Rush, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, erroneously thought that something in the constitution of Black people kept them from catching the virus. So they pressed African Americans into service as nurses, caretakers, and gravediggers. Allen, Jones, and other members of the Free African Society were instrumental in tending to the city’s sick, with Allen himself falling ill and recovering. Others were not so lucky. Still, under the leadership of Allen and Jones, the city’s Black population performed many noble acts during the crisis. As one Philadelphian wrote in a letter, “I dont know what the people would do, if it was not for the Negroes, as they are the Principal nurses.” — Nikole Hannah-Jones et al., The 1619 Project, 1028

Categorization

• QUESTION: The claim of Black immunity to yellow fever is a specific false belief worth verifying the historical record on — did Rush retract it when Allen himself fell ill?
• ADDENDUM: Connects to ‘On Sacrifice’ theme of how marginalized groups get pressed into dangerous caretaking labor under cover of false biological beliefs.