A few years back while still living in Denver, our local NPR station featured a Black poetess whose topic was to speak as Anarcha. At that point I'd not known the history. Her recital was so raw that I very nearly wrecked the car into a ditch. It was history that most of us, most especially White women, don't know. I've written about it since as a way of propagating that awareness, and in fact did that very thing again today on LInked In when I saw a mention of Sims' name. I was very glad to see this:
Still, most of us are clueless. The more alt-history that's peeled away, the more horrific this Nation's role in brutality. And to think Nikki Haley had the audacity to say we aren't a racist nation. I nearly choked on my coffee. The level of denial boggles the mind.
Thank you for sharing this. I found the comment by the apologist for the doctor’s actions, that the women were willing, troublesome. From personal experience I know that when someone is in great pain and living the kind of life noted in the story they will agree to anything to make it stop out of desperation and from trusting a doctor can do something. I was taught by my pathologist father to question medical authorities and, even if their motives were benign, not assume they always had the right answers. Glad this information is coming to light.
A few years back while still living in Denver, our local NPR station featured a Black poetess whose topic was to speak as Anarcha. At that point I'd not known the history. Her recital was so raw that I very nearly wrecked the car into a ditch. It was history that most of us, most especially White women, don't know. I've written about it since as a way of propagating that awareness, and in fact did that very thing again today on LInked In when I saw a mention of Sims' name. I was very glad to see this:
https://www.vox.com/identities/2018/4/18/17254234/j-marion-sims-experiments-slaves-women-gynecology-statue-removal
Still, most of us are clueless. The more alt-history that's peeled away, the more horrific this Nation's role in brutality. And to think Nikki Haley had the audacity to say we aren't a racist nation. I nearly choked on my coffee. The level of denial boggles the mind.
Thank you for posting this article.
Thank you for sharing this. I found the comment by the apologist for the doctor’s actions, that the women were willing, troublesome. From personal experience I know that when someone is in great pain and living the kind of life noted in the story they will agree to anything to make it stop out of desperation and from trusting a doctor can do something. I was taught by my pathologist father to question medical authorities and, even if their motives were benign, not assume they always had the right answers. Glad this information is coming to light.