Fred Gray, Sr.

[CLEMENTS]

Who was the first person to step foward to step forward to help Fred Gray, Sr. the renouned civil rights attorney replinish his files on the Tuskegee Syphilis Study after his office was destroyed in a tragic fire on February 11, 2004?

[CLEMENTS]

Donated Syphilis Papers Help Tuskegee Attorney Recover From Fire

Lloyd Clements wants to give something to Fred Gray.
"It's a priceless, historical set of documents," says Clements.
Legal documents that tell the story about Mr. Clements' family. You see, it was Clements' great-grandfather, great-Uncle and Uncle who unknowingly participated in the Tuskegee syphilis study, a study in which the U.S. government conducted medical experiments on hundreds of black men who had syphilis and those who didn't.
"This one piece of correspondence really touches me because it talks about my great-uncle," Clements says. Clements' great-uncle was Sylvester Carlis.
In 1972, attorney Fred Gray, Senior, put a stop to the experiments. On that case alone, Gray had more than 600 separate files, all lost in the fire last month. The blaze wiped out 3 buildings, including Gray's law office. As of this writing, still no official word on what started the fire, although the mayor of Tuskegee told WSFA it was a space heater.
"We won't be able to recover 100%, but we can try," says Gray, who's been practicing law in Alabama for nearly 50 years.
A few days after the fire in February, Clements decided to take the first step to help Gray replenish his syphilis study files. Clements will turn over the original papers to a man who stopped a 40-year secret.
"I have no regrets. I feel a deep sense of pride in this," says Clements.
"I am humbled and grateful for what Clements wants to do," says Gray.
The syphilis study no doubt was a dark and ugly period in American history. Fred Gray brought it to the light of scrutiny. With the help of Lloyd Clements, not even a raging fire can destroy the story of shame and triumph.
Reporter: Bryan Henry

[humming bird]

"The syphilis study no doubt was a dark and ugly period in American history. Fred Gray brought it to the light of scrutiny. With the help of Lloyd Clements, not even a raging fire can destroy the story of shame and triumph. "Holy Toledo!!...to the Batcave, Boy Wonder..time for some Biffo" Cheers