In 1939, the Medical Association of the State of Alabama (MASA) erected a monument at Alabama’s State Capitol to honor J. Marion Sims, a notable gynecologist known as the father of modern gynecology. However, it is crucial to acknowledge the dark history associated with Sims' practices. Sims performed experimental traumatic obstruction surgeries on enslaved African women, men, and girls, all without the use of anesthesia.

This petition calls for a sober reflection on our current state of maternity care in the healthcare system. It is important to relocate Sims to the actual site where these atrocities took place, as a symbolic gesture from the birthplace of the civil rights movement and the cradle of the confederacy—demonstrating that we can confront our history without erasing it entirely.

In addition, we must recognize the three enslaved girls—Anarcha, Lucy, and Betsey and the many other unnamed victims who endured torturous experiments from 1845 to 1848. Through their suffering, these girls played a significant role in the development of gynecological instruments, yet they have never been acknowledged.

We invite you to support our call to action, advocating through donations and signatures of support for the removal and relocation of J. Marion Sims to the future site of the Mothers of Gynecology Clinical Museum located at 33 South Perry Street—historically known as Sims’ office site and the Negro Women’s Hospital. This new location, situated just eight blocks from the state capitol, will serve to educate and enlighten future medical practitioners, doulas, midwives, obstetricians, and gynecologists about the untold side of this story. 

To make a donation, please click the yellow Donate button at the top of this page: https://www.anarchalucybetsey.org/