A remarkable, personal glimpse of Black student life at Indiana University in the early 1960s.
"From his father's dream of Lester becoming a doctor, this memoir serves as an inspiration for any young medical student to capture their dream. Certain to become a noted source, Lucky Medicine gives us a ground-breaking looking into a midwestern, African American youngster's unlikely journey to become a doctor." —Booker T. Jones, Grammy Award Winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee
In 1961, a skinny African American boy from Indianapolis arrived at Indiana University Bloomington determined to become a doctor. For the next three years, Lester Thompson kept a detailed, intimate diary of his journey to graduation. In Lucky Medicine, Lester returns to his long-ago journal and, with honesty, humor, and a healthy dose of rueful self-reflection, shares stories from his college years at Indiana University.
Fascinating glimpses emerge of Black Greek life at the time, including the building of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity house and the successes, struggles, and social lives of its members. Lester's student years were driven by hard work, but also bustled with fun and drama. He recalls his time studying at the university library, falling in and out of love many times, becoming friends with fellow fraternity brother Booker T. Jones, a truly memorable invitation extended to meet with George Wallace, and an epic, no-holds-barred brawl with limestone cutters at the 24-Hour Grill.
Lucky Medicine offers a closeup, unforgettable look at IU student life just before the sweeping social changes of the 1960s, when students of color accounted for less than two percent of the Indiana University's student body.