Hey Prime members, you can binge episode 17 through 24 of Mr.

Bollin's Medical Mysteries right now and add free on Amazon Music.

Download the app today. In the summer of 1983 a middle-aged Italian man held his mother's hands as they swayed about on a dance

floor. His mother was in her 90s and was not able to get out very much so this was an

extremely special occasion and this particular dance floor was on a cruise ship sailing on the Mediterranean Sea.

It was an unbelievable experience he knew they would never forget.

Then a slow song came on and as they danced together the man began to feel abnormally hot

Sweat ran down his chest and underneath his tuxedo jacket his hair stuck to his neck and when he touched his forehead his hand came away wet.

He told his mother he'd be right back and then he left the dance floor took off his

jacket and walked to the cruise deck hoping the ocean breeze would cool him down.

But when he got up there, he didn't cool down, and instead he just kept on sweating

until his dress shirt was completely drenched.

The man finally just ran to a bathroom in one of the cruise ship's long

hallways and he ran right over to the sink, turned on the cold water and

splash it on his face. But when he looked up at his reflection, he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Not because of how much he was sweating, but because when he looked at his eyes, he could

see his pupils had shrunk to two tiny pinpricks. Suddenly he knew exactly what was wrong. He stared at

his sweaty reflection and told himself he would go back out there on the dance

floor and he would enjoy this night with his mother. He had to make every second count.

Because he was certain he'd be dead within a year. What does it mean to be black in America?

An NPR's Black Stories, Black Truths, a collection of stories as

very nuanced and dynamic as black experiences.

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