A powerful and haunting reminder of America’s medical past now stands tall in Montgomery!
The Mothers of Gynecology Monument, created by artist and activist Michelle Browder, honors three Black enslaved girls who were subjected to brutal, non-consensual surgical experiments by J. Marion Sims—the man long celebrated as the “father of modern gynecology.”
Browder’s towering metal sculptures represent Anarcha, Lucy, and Betsey, three teenage girls—ages 17, 16, and 18—whose bodies were used for medical experimentation without anesthesia during the 1840s.
These young women had no legal rights, no ability to consent, and were exploited in the name of scientific progress.
“These girls were used as breeders during the reign of terror that was slavery,” Browder says in a video shared on Instagram. “I want to make sure I press that point—they were just girls. And you can’t even argue consent because they were enslaved.”
The monument, located at the Mothers of Gynecology Monument Park in downtown Montgomery, stands not only as a memorial but as a call to action.
Browder connects this history of exploitation to the ongoing Black maternal health crisis in the U.S., where Black women continue to face disproportionately high rates of infant mortality and maternal complications.
“We’re bridging the gap between what happened then and what’s still happening now,” Browder says. “It’s a call for all of us to amplify the voices of those who’ve been forgotten and to act.”
The monument has become a destination for reflection, education, and community healing. Visitors are welcome Wednesday through Sunday, and private appointments can also be arranged.
Social media accounts like @unknownprojecttrail have helped spread awareness of the monument and its historical significance, thanking Browder and others for ensuring that the truth about Black women’s bodies and medical racism is not erased.
As debates around medical ethics and racial justice continue nationwide, the Mothers of Gynecology monument stands as a necessary intervention—one that forces the country to remember, reckon, and respond.
To learn more or plan a visit, contact the Mothers of Gynecology Monument Park in Montgomery, Alabama.
