Red Cross documentary spotlights Dr. Charles Drew’s legacy and the need for Black blood donors
(ABNN) — The American Red Cross is spotlighting the life and influence of Dr. Charles R. Drew in a new documentary that connects his pioneering work in blood banking to the continuing need for blood donors in Black communities.
“Iconic Excellence,” a short film that premiered Sept. 18 on the American Red Cross YouTube channel, examines Drew’s scientific contributions, the stories of his family and the myths that have surrounded his death since a 1950 car crash. The release coincides with the 85th anniversary of Drew’s appointment as the first medical director of the Red Cross Blood Program.
Drew, often called the father of blood banking, helped develop methods for collecting, preserving and distributing blood and plasma during World War II. His work helped make large-scale blood transfusions possible and laid a foundation for systems used to collect and store blood today.
Tiffany Taylor, the film’s writer and executive producer, said the documentary grew out of the Red Cross’s work with the Drew family. After the organization hosted online events, podcasts and interviews with Drew’s daughters, Taylor said the team heard personal stories about him and saw how persistent misinformation about his life had become.
“Breaking news travels fast, but sometimes course correction of news travels extremely slow,” Taylor said.
Dr. Yvette Miller, the Red Cross executive medical officer who appears in the film, said the documentary fills a major gap in public understanding of Drew’s work.
“Very few people know about Dr. Drew’s history and the importance of his work in terms of processing and determining how to store plasma and red blood cells so that it is available for transfusion for everyone when they need it,” Miller told the American Black News Network.
For Miller, Drew’s legacy is both professional and personal. She grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, about 45 minutes from Alamance County, where Drew and several colleagues were involved in the fatal crash. She said she learned as a child about Drew, the accident and misconceptions that later developed around the treatment he received.
The film addresses those longstanding myths, while also clarifying another aspect of Drew’s history: why he left the Red Cross. Miller said some people believe he departed because of blood-segregation policies involving the Red Cross and the U.S. military. But Drew had been on loan from Howard University and returned there to teach future physicians, surgeons and health care providers, she said.
“[It] was his first job and what he thought was the most important thing for him to do,” Miller said, “which was to educate the next generations of surgeons and health care providers.”
The 26-minute long documentary also ties Drew’s legacy to present-day health needs. Miller said blood donations from people of African descent can be especially important for some patients with sickle cell disease, the majority of whom in the United States are Black. Taylor said one in three African American blood donors is a match for a patient living with sickle cell disease.
Taylor said she wants Black viewers to see that their communities have long been part of medical innovation and life-saving advocacy, and that they have a role to play in blood donation today.
“It’s hard to be what you cannot see,” said Taylor.
The film is a call to action beyond preserving history. Miller said Drew’s innovations in blood processing, storage and mobile collection continue to shape the Red Cross’s work, including the millions of blood units collected across the country.
“I hope that every person that sees the film sees themselves in a lifesaver role,” Miller said in a media release. “You can be a lifesaver by donating blood, hosting a blood drive and hosting a screening of the film with your organization, church or school.”
“Iconic Excellence” features interviews with Drew’s daughters — Bebe Drew Price, Dr. Charlene Drew Jarvis and Sylvia Drew Ivie — as well as grandchildren Ernie Drew Jarvis and Dr. Kelly Price Noble. It also includes perspectives from NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. International President Ricky Lewis, Red Cross Biomedical Services President Chris Hrouda and Miller. DeMarco Morgan narrates the film, which was written and executive produced by Tiffany Taylor and directed by Brad Zerivitz.
The Red Cross encourages prospective donors to visit RedCrossBlood.org/OurBlood, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App or call 1-800-RED CROSS. Organizations interested in hosting a screening can learn more at RedCrossBlood.org/IconicExcellence.
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