Nebraska Institute of Forensic Sciences Background

The need for more formal training in forensic sciences and forensic medicine for African-American students and healthcare professional has been recognized for some years. In the U.S. there are only about fourteen (14) African-American Board-certified forensic pathologists. Currently, in the U.S., there is no state or city or county medical examiner jurisdiction that is run or administered by an African-American. On the other hand, in most metropolitan jurisdictions, like Detroit, Chicago, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Los Angles, Atlanta, Miami, San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Washington, D.C., etc most of the deceased brought into the Medical Examiner’s Offices are African-Americans. The bereaved families who interact with these Medical Examiner’s Offices (or city or county morgues) are African-American families. It goes without saying that the African-American Communities in the U.S. have a vested interest in the fields of forensic science and forensic medicine. There have been thousands of African-American youngsters who have been incarcerated based on false or uncorroborated physical evidence, such as wrong DNA tests, serological, and toxicological reports and ballistics results. It is in intention of Nebraska Institute of Forensic Sciences, Inc., to collaborate with The Innocence Project at Cardozo School of Law, New York, NY in setting up a branch of that Project in Lincoln, Nebraska. Through our affiliate the Cyril H. Wecht Institute of Forensic Science and Law at Duquesne University School of Law, there is a branch of The Innocence Project in Pennsylvania.