Who benefits from alternative therapy?(culture)

Harvey Ford was 40 years old when he received the news that he had rectal cancer, back in 1989. An African American factory worker in Chicago, Ford had family experience with the disease. His father had been diagnosed with the same cancer at the age of 80. Three years after a surgery to remove the tumor, the elder Ford died. A long fight and considerable medical care hadn't saved him.

Mindful of his father, Ford decided to explore his options as a patient. "I did a lot of reading books, anything I could find on the subject of cancer," Ford remembers. "What I realized is that doctors know so little about (cancer). They know how to treat it, but they know so little about the causes and whatever else you can do to fight the cancer and come back.

"I was treated very well by my physicians. I had no problem with them. It was just that if I could find another method--that's what I was looking for."

Ford eventually decided to see a naturopath, a healer who emphasizes herbal remedies, and through word of mouth he found an African American naturopath with a good reputation in the community.

This naturopath ordered Ford to fast in order to purge his body of toxins. So for 14 days, Ford fasted. He drank two herbal concoctions every day, but otherwise he ate nothing. He also underwent daily colonics. Ford paid for these treatments out of his own pocket while continuing the conventional care provided by his insurance.

After completing the fast, Ford discovered his tumors had shrunk. He eventually decided to have the same surgery his father had but nonetheless Ford credits his naturopath with helping him avoid radiation treatments and other painful therapies.

As treatments like naturopathy become increasingly common, they are also becoming increasingly contested. Contrary to Harvey Ford's experience, alternative medicine has long been out of reach for many people of color--despite its origins and liberal borrowing from many of their cultural traditions.