In 1970, community activists in NYC were fed up with the city’s lack of response to the growing heroin epidemic. So, with help from the Black Panthers and Young Lords, they came up with their own solution—the Lincoln Detox clinic. Radical politics were at the core of the organization, but first and foremost it offered local folks a safe place to detoxify and work together in outpatient programs. Under the eventual leadership of Dr. Mutulu Shakur (stepfather of Tupac Shakur), the Lincoln clinic grew to embrace the practice of acupuncture as a major part of its grassroots, community-based approach to addiction treatment. Extensive archival footage, deftly presented by filmmaker Mia Donovan, shows how the effects of the organization’s radical approach to health are still felt today. Donovan and the subjects of her film demonstrate how activism and healthcare can intersect in collective healing. -CP

This film is part of the War on Drugs program curated by the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users (VANDU). Read their essay here.