Organized by I Be Black Girl
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In honor of the resilience of Anarcha Wescott, one of the mothers of gynecology, and to confront the lasting legacy of medical racism on Black women, femmes, and girls, I Be Black Girl has proudly named our Black birthing resource center the Anarcha Center. The center will stand in honor of those robbed of their bodily autonomy and freedom and serve as a guidepost to ensure that Black women and folks with the capacity for pregnancy receive dignified care and support rooted in their humanity and justice.
Anarcha Wescott was a 17-year-old enslaved girl who was subjected to brutal experimental gynecological surgeries without any anesthetic shortly after giving birth for the first time. Anarcha, along with Betsey Harris and Lucy Zimmerman, was the first documented, named enslaved girls who faced these atrocities, marking the terrifying inception of the gynecological field that continues to impact Black maternal health today.
As we embark on this, we invite the community to join us in building a brighter future for Black women and folks with the capacity for pregnancy by including a piece of yourselves in this process. At the $250 giving level, donors have the opportunity to have a custom brick in memory of themselves or someone who has experienced birthing injustice, which will be placed in our community courtyard space.
Our vision is to create a community-based hub that houses the full spectrum of birth workers and partners, fostering greater accessibility, choice, and autonomy for Black pregnant folks during their birthing journey. Within this space, traditional medical practitioners, including midwives, lactation consultants, and mental health professionals, will come together to provide comprehensive care and support.
The Anarcha Center will offer:
🤰🏾 Drop-in workspaces for birth workers
👩🏿🍼 Convenient spaces for appointments with pregnant people
🧸 Child-friendly rooms
🧘🏾 Multipurpose area for prenatal yoga, massages, community meetings, and more
We firmly believe that this unified approach will break down barriers, uplift our community, and empower individuals to reclaim their bodily autonomy and freedom throughout their birthing process.
I Be Black Girl (IBBG) is a reproductive justice organization that leads with boldness, innovation and inspiration, actively creating a radical change-making culture that centers Black women, femmes, and girls. Inspired by the work of bell hooks, Alice Walker, Audre Lorde and other Black feminists and womanists, our organization provides transformational change at the intersections of gender and race.
