Photographer: Jill Friedman
A MONUMENT TO THE ENSLAVED ‘MOTHERS OF GYNECOLOGY’ RISES IN MONTGOMERY
MAY 10, 2022
STATUE CELEBRATES 'MOTHERS OF GYNECOLOGY' AT BLACK WOMEN'S BIRTHING CONFERENCE
MARCH 28, 2022
Credit: Steven Zucker, Smarthistory
‘THE MOTHERS OF GYNECOLOGY’ REMEMBERED
IN MONTGOMERY MONUMENT
FEBRUARY 20, 2022
THE STATUE OF A DOCTOR WHO EXPERIMENTED ON ENSLAVED WOMEN STILL STANDS IN ALABAMA. BUT NOW THERE'S ALSO A MONUMENT TO HIS VICTIMS.
OCTOBER 2, 2021
3 campus projects
THE MORE UP CAMPUS
CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
For the first time since the civil rights movement there is a national reckoning around race in America. More Up seeks to participate in this reckoning by finding creative ways to honor the voiceless, the minimized, the ignored. Phase I is the erection of the “Mothers of Gynecology” monument, to honor the sacrifice of Anarcha, Lucy, and Betsey, the enslaved experimental subjects of the so-called “father of gynecology,” J. Marion Sims.
More Up is located in Montgomery, Alabama, and the “Mothers of Gynecology” monument will stand not far from where Sims’s dastardly experiments were conducted. Drawing on a comprehensive re-examination of Sims’s career, and never-before-seen archival documents that reveal the lives and fates of Anarcha, Lucy, and Betsey, the “Mothers of Gynecology” will act as a first step toward teaching and reimagining the true story of the nation, facing the injustice of the past and honoring the courage of overlooked heroes.
PHASE 1
MOTHERS OF GYNECOLOGY
15' MONUMENT
UNVEILED
SEPTEMBER 24, 2021
ANARCHA, LUCY & BETSEY
MONUMENT
Anarcha, Lucy, and Betsey
were enslaved women from plantations in and around Montgomery, Alabama. With neither consent nor anesthesia, they were experimented on by Dr. J. Marion Sims in the 1840s. After publishing the results of his "success," Sims moved to New York to seek fame and fortune. Within a decade, he became known as the Father of Gynecology. By contrast, Anarcha, Betsey, and Lucy fell into history. They changed the world, only to be forgotten by it. A 15-foot public monument will honor these women, tell their story, and shine a light on ongoing racial disparities in the healthcare industry today.
PHASE 2
THE MORE UP
TRAVEL CENTER
THE MORE UP
TRAVEL CENTER
The Travel Center will accommodate (32-beds) and educate travelers and activists visiting the Montgomery area through an established curriculum of art, true historical exploration, and critical thinking -- inspiring participants to engage in social justice activism when returning to their own communities.
PHASE 3
THE CREATIVE
CHANGEMAKERS MUSEUM
THE CREATIVE
CHANGEMAKERS MUSEUM
The Creative Changemakers Museum is an innovative experience of art and history. Expression and innovation are key to fostering the minds of the next generation. The museum will explore the unknown history of how Anarcha, Lucy, and Betsey, and the City of Montgomery, played a crucial role in the history of medicine. That history is changing lives even today, in Africa. Art, music, and conversation changes narratives and heals wounds of indifference. Travelers to the museum, of all ages, will be inspired to become Creative Changemakers.
Contact Us
17 Mildred Street, Montgomery, AL 36104
Tel: 334-296-3024
