Sickle cell disease (SCD), characterized by severe pain crisis and progressive organ damage as well as early death, is one of the most common inherited blood disorders in the world. However, since 90% of U.S. patients self-identify as Black and experience neglect as a result of structural racism, until recently, the condition has received very little research funding and minimal attention from the medical research community. Recent advances in human genetics have reinvigorated interest in the genetic underpinnings of SCD and the potential to “cure” it with novel genetic therapies.