Remembering Anarcha

A statue of Dr. James Marion Sims stands on the grounds of the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery. The South Carolinian spent almost two decades in Montgomery, pre-Civil War, practicing medicine. Sims is known as “the father of modern gynecology,” but his detractors call him “Father Butcher” for his experiments on enslaved women - without anesthesia or what is now “informed consent." His legacy - and the statues dedicated to him in Montgomery, Columbia, SC, and until its removal in early 2018, New York City’s Central Park - only tell part of the story. "Remembering Anarcha" explores this history and issues of ethics, race, and the lingering effects on modern society and medicine.