Protesters gathered in New York’s Central Park on Saturday to demand the removal of a statue of a 19th century doctor who conducted experiments on African American women slaves.
A bronze likeness of Dr. James Marion Sims stands at the entrance of Central Park at Fifth Avenue and 103rd Street in Manhattan.
The statue, which was originally dedicated in 1894, stands to honor the man considered to be ‘the father of modern gynecology.’
According to the New York City Parks Department, Sims, who was born in South Carolina in 1813, owned slaves.
Protesters gathered in New York’s Central Park on Saturday to demand the removal of a statue of a 19th century doctor who conducted experiments on African American women slaves
A bronze likeness of Dr. James Marion Sims stands at the entrance of Central Park at Fifth Avenue and 103rd Street in Manhattan. Two women protesters painted their clothes as part of their demonstration
While he is credited with treating vesicovaginal fistula, a condition in women that was common after child birth, he is also known to have conducted a series of experiments on black women.
In some cases, Sims did not use anesthesia on his subjects.
Since slaves were in no position to assert individual liberties, these experiments were likely forced and done without their consent.
‘Memorializing of imperialist slaveholders, murderers and torturers like J. Marion Sims is white supremacy,’ said Rossanna Mercedes, 27, a member of Black Youth Project 100.
The statue, which was originally dedicated in 1894, stands to honor the man considered to be ‘the father of modern gynecology’
Despite being credit with medical breakthroughs and innovations, Sims is also known to have conducted medical experiments on enslaved black women
‘Memorializing of imperialist slaveholders, murderers and torturers like J. Marion Sims is white supremacy,’ said Rossanna Mercedes, 27, a member of Black Youth Project 100.
Sims’ hallmark achievement was the founding of the Woman’s Hospital of New York in 1855
Her remarks were reported by the New York Daily News.
‘We will no longer allow government institutions like the New York City Parks Department to passively allow symbols of oppression,’ she said.
‘At best, J. Marion Sims was a racist man who exploited the institution of racism for his own gain,’ another protester, Seshat Mack, 24, said.
‘At best, he was a man who recognized the humanity of black slaves to use them for medical research about the human body — but not enough to recognize and treat their pain during surgery.’
Sims’ hallmark achievement was the founding of the Woman’s Hospital of New York in 1855. He is also credited with medical breakthroughs and innovations.
The city has refused demands to move the statue, which originally stood in Bryant Park before it was moved to its current location.
The location of the statue is significant, since it lies in East Harlem – a racially diverse community.
The city has refused demands to move the statue, which originally stood in Bryant Park before it was moved to its current location
A woman shouts slogans against the government as they protest against white supremacy
An NYPD officer move protesters to the sidewalk as they take part in a protest against white supremacy in front of the statue of Sims
The fierce nationwide debate over Confederate statues which was ignited by last week’s events at Charlottesville, Virginia has now put Sims’ past in the spotlight
Instead, it pledged to add a sign to the statue that would offer visitors to the site greater historical context about the man and his deeds.
Sims’ statue in New York is not the only likeness that has stirred controversy.
In Columbia, South Carolina, the mayor, Steve Benjamin, has vowed to remove a bust of Sims on the grounds of the South Carolina Statehouse.
The fierce nationwide debate over Confederate statues which was ignited by last week’s events at Charlottesville, Virginia has now put Sims’ past in the spotlight.
Far-right white nationalists initially staged demonstrations in Charlottesville to protest plans to take down the statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee.
They were met by anti-fascist counter-protesters, one of whom was killed when an alleged alt-rightist drove his car into a crowd of demonstrators.
President Donald Trump’s refusal to condemn the white nationalists while insisting that ‘both sides’ were to blame and that there were ‘very fine people’ amongst the neo-Nazis sparked an uproar.
DUKE UNIVERSITY REMOVES CONTROVERSIAL STATUE
The empty plinth where a statue of Confederate commander General Robert E Lee once stood is flanked by statues of Thomas Jefferson and the poet Sidney Lanier at the entrance to Duke University’s Duke Chapel after officials removed the controversial statue early Saturday morning in Durham, North Carolina
Duke University removed a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee from the entrance of a chapel on the Durham, North Carolina, campus, officials said on Saturday, days after it was vandalized.
The decision to take down the statue followed discussions among students, faculty, staff and alumni about maintaining safety on campus, university President Vincent E. Price said in a statement.
‘I took this course of action to protect Duke Chapel, to ensure the vital safety of students and community members who worship there, and above all to express the deep and abiding values of our university,’ Price said.
The prestigious university will preserve the statue of Lee, who led Confederate forces in the American Civil War of 1861-1865, and use it as an educational tool so that students can study ‘Duke’s complex past,’ Price added.
The Confederacy, comprised of 11 Southern states, broke from the Union largely to preserve the institution of slavery.
Symbols of the Confederacy have come into focus since last weekend, when white nationalists, angered at the planned removal of a statue of Lee from a park in Charlottesville, Virginia, engaged in violent protests where a counter-protester was killed.
The Robert E. Lee statue, one of 10 outside Duke Chapel, was vandalized and defaced late on Wednesday night. Campus security discovered the damage early Thursday, according to university officials.
The incident was under investigation.
‘Wednesday night’s act of vandalism made clear that the turmoil and turbulence of recent months do not stop at Duke’s gates,’ Price said.
– Reuters