SHARE: INSTAGRAM | LINKEDIN | FACEBOOK | BLUESKY
This Juneteenth, the Equal Justice Society is proud to present Health Equity: The Origins of Modern Gynecology and the Movement Forward, a special edition of our Health Equity Newsletter. Read the zine above and share this with allies using this link: https://equaljusticesociety.org/juneteenth.
Through essays, poetry, art, and storytelling, EJS President Lisa Holder, Legal Director Mona Tawatao, Poet-in-Residence Michael Tyler, and guest contributors explore the intersection of Black Women’s health equity, historical injustice, and harm repair.
The featured foreword is an essay by Dr. Anastasia Williams, President of the Association of Black Women Physicians, who recounts the stories of Anarcha, Betsey, and Lucy, three of the eleven enslaved Black Women whose bodies were subjected to repeated experimentation and torture by Dr. J. Marion Sims to invent the tools of modern gynecology including the speculum.
While Sims has long been celebrated as the “Father of Gynecology,” this issue shifts the narrative to recognize these women as the true Mothers of Gynecology and honor their unacknowledged contributions to modern medicine.
Juneteenth is both a celebration of liberation and a reminder of the harms Black people have endured in America for more than 400 years. Many of those harms continue to shape our institutions today, including our healthcare system. Meaningful reconciliation and healing require harm repair through truth-telling, accountability, and action.
Only by confronting and repairing historic and ongoing injustices can we build the foundation for a truly multiracial and inclusive democracy. Harmful myths rooted in racism, such as the false belief that Black Women experience less pain, have contributed to generations of inequitable treatment and persist in health outcomes today.
By elevating these histories, we seek to advance truth, accountability, and harm repair. We invite you to read and share this special issue with your networks as we work toward a future where Black Women’s health, dignity, and humanity are fully recognized, protected, and valued.
This special zine is presented by Eric Gibbs and Sandy Kassis, with support from the California Black Power Network, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF), BLIS Collective, The California Wellness Foundation, and the JANM Democracy Center. The zine was edited by Lisa Holder, designed and produced by Kahtro (Dharni Patel, Ashley Monaé, and Iris Yang), with assistance by Health Equity News coordinator Tyler Kyser, communications support from Change Consulting, and the dedicated work by the entire EJS staff.
The work of harm repair and racial justice requires sustained investment. As support for Black-led organizations declines, your gift helps the Equal Justice Society advance health equity and build a truly multiracial and inclusive democracy at a critical time.
Thank you for your continued support,
Lisa Holder
President
Equal Justice Society
We have a limited number of print copies of the zine.
Submit this form to request a copy.
Subscribe to Health Equity News
CONTACT
Heather Snedeker
Director of Development, Equal Justice Society
HSnedeker@equaljusticesociety.org
Equal Justice Society
c/o WeWork
1111 Broadway, Suite 300
Oakland, CA 94607
Cell Phone: (850) 320-2336
Use our toolkit to help us spread the word on this special zine!