The ‘crack baby’ epidemic was a myth that stigmatized black mothers for years

Evidence

In 1991, we learned that the infamous “crack baby”—always portrayed as black, born addicted, and with profound permanent brain damage caused by the mother’s crack use while pregnant—was a myth. But we learned this only after the headlines blamed neglectful, drug-addled mothers for the “crack baby epidemic,” further stigmatizing black women who sometimes faced legal charges for their babies’ medical issues. — Harriet A. Washington, A Terrible Thing to Waste, 874

Categorization

• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Harriet A. Washington, A Terrible Thing to Waste, 874
• XREF: connects to: Tiny prenatal chemical doses harm fetuses while equal adult doses cause no effect — Harriet A. Washington, A Terrible Thing to Waste, 726; Black mothers’ self-sacrifice was recast as negative stereotype