04/26/2026
The Lincoln Detox Center was established on November 10, 1970 during the takeover of the Lincoln Hospital in the South Bronx. Founded by the Black Panthers, Young Lords, and the Health Revolutionary Unity Movement, whose goal was to implement a community-run drug detox program at the height of the he**in epidemic in NYC. A large part of the initiative came from the understanding that conventional detox clinics, with government-mandated methadone maintenance programs were used to keep low-income, black and brown communities dependent on narcotics and in poor health.One of the team’s leaders was Mutulu Shakur, who witnessed his sons recover from car accidents with the aid of acupuncture. He continued to seek out acupuncture as he discovered its potential efficacy in treating substance use disorders and aiding in overall wellbeing. It was reported that within the first few days of the program, hundreds of people were waiting in lines, excited to receive non-prescription, community- built care. It was at Lincoln Detox Center that the first “Patient’s Bill of Rights” was created, a catalyst for all subsequent charters that exist today. The Lincoln Detox Center, Mutulu Shakur, and the revolutionary groups helped establish acupuncture in the U.S. as a tool of community-based care. As conventional systems neglected these communities, acupuncture emerged as a grassroots approach to preventing chronic illness, supporting drug detox, and improving mental health. Remembering its political, anti-racist roots shows us why medicine is practiced, and reminds us of the need to fight for both accessible and quality healthcare.
