1 00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:07,760 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Sadie and Samantha and welcome to Stephanely 2 00:00:07,840 --> 00:00:20,040 Speaker 1: never told your protection of iHeartRadio, and welcome back to 3 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:23,520 Speaker 1: another feminist around the world. Our Tuesday segment where we 4 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:26,520 Speaker 1: talk about amazing people who are doing some amazing things 5 00:00:26,760 --> 00:00:29,400 Speaker 1: all over the world. And because it is Black History Month, 6 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:32,599 Speaker 1: we are focusing a little more on our area, the 7 00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:35,960 Speaker 1: United States, so bear with us. We will go back 8 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 1: out globally soon. But we think it's really important that 9 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:43,720 Speaker 1: as things have happened in the US, and as politics 10 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:48,240 Speaker 1: and critical theory and all those things are making an ugly, 11 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 1: ugly turn here in the US, we really think it's 12 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:54,320 Speaker 1: important that we focus and make sure that we're giving 13 00:00:54,360 --> 00:00:58,040 Speaker 1: flowers and giving accolades to those who are with us 14 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 1: today and changing the world and changing perspective, and hopefully 15 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:05,520 Speaker 1: their efforts will be heard more and more and more. 16 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:08,319 Speaker 1: Yea out there right, and we want that to be 17 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:12,800 Speaker 1: global too. So yeah, we are continuing Black History Month 18 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:17,120 Speaker 1: with an amazing artist, activist and historian who's making sure 19 00:01:17,160 --> 00:01:19,880 Speaker 1: that we don't forget the work and contributions of the 20 00:01:19,959 --> 00:01:22,839 Speaker 1: enslaved women in the United States. We were talking about 21 00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:26,039 Speaker 1: Michelle Brouder and before we begin, we do want to 22 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:29,480 Speaker 1: put a content warning. As you may know, when it 23 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:33,759 Speaker 1: comes to the enslaved history in the United States, in America, 24 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:37,480 Speaker 1: the early realms of America, and even honestly today, it's 25 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 1: not pretty. So we are going to talk about some 26 00:01:40,280 --> 00:01:43,160 Speaker 1: things that could be upsetting to some people. Just be aware. 27 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:46,160 Speaker 1: But I still think you should listen because I think 28 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 1: it's important to know this history. Because we're not going 29 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 1: to go in depth, just mentions of some of the 30 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:55,520 Speaker 1: historical contacts that Browder House brought out, and that makes 31 00:01:55,560 --> 00:02:00,000 Speaker 1: sure we don't forget because it's important. As we say so, Yeah, 32 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:03,800 Speaker 1: Michelle Browder is a fighter in every way, as she's 33 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 1: talked about being a young child who did not take 34 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:09,400 Speaker 1: things lying down and wasn't afraid to use her fist 35 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:13,400 Speaker 1: to push back. Coming from Denver to the South, specifically 36 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:16,720 Speaker 1: to Alabama, Browder was no stranger to the racism and 37 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:20,320 Speaker 1: prejudice that is all too prominent in these areas, and 38 00:02:20,400 --> 00:02:23,119 Speaker 1: she has witnessed the fight that her own family has 39 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:26,320 Speaker 1: been in to push back against the racial injustice of 40 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: the country. Her father was the first black chaplain for 41 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:33,120 Speaker 1: the Alabama prison system in nineteen sixty three, and her aunt, 42 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 1: Aurelia Browder Coleman, was an activist who was arrested multiple 43 00:02:37,080 --> 00:02:39,640 Speaker 1: times for refusing to give up her seat on a 44 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:43,080 Speaker 1: bus to white people. Essentially, and this is way before 45 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:45,119 Speaker 1: Rosa Parts. I feel like seven or eight years before 46 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:48,679 Speaker 1: Rosa Parts. So she definitely knows and he has been 47 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 1: in the activist lifestyle for a while. And it was 48 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:55,400 Speaker 1: her father who helped reroute her anger and frustrations out 49 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 1: onto the canvas rather than the bullies who continued to 50 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:02,520 Speaker 1: bully are Essentially. She talked about that moment with her 51 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:06,679 Speaker 1: father and the Montgomery Advertiser articles. She said, I grew 52 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:09,880 Speaker 1: up in a small town just after the Civil rights integration, 53 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:12,359 Speaker 1: and the N word and the B word those were 54 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 1: words that were used and oftentimes by my teachers. I 55 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:18,360 Speaker 1: didn't like it right, so there was always a fight. 56 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:20,720 Speaker 1: And my father said, if you don't find a way 57 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:23,120 Speaker 1: to channel that energy, you're going to find yourself in 58 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:26,840 Speaker 1: Tutwiler prison. And I was like, no, I'm not going 59 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:28,880 Speaker 1: to tut Wiler. And it was then he gave me 60 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 1: some T shirt and paint and I started painting and 61 00:03:31,639 --> 00:03:34,280 Speaker 1: I found my individuality in that because it was okay 62 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:36,840 Speaker 1: to be strange and now I'm using it hopefully to 63 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 1: liberate others, and yeah, she has done just that. She 64 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:43,520 Speaker 1: attended the Art Institute of Atlanta after high school and 65 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 1: where she study visual communications. It was there that she 66 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:49,840 Speaker 1: began to study in depth the herring history of doctor J. 67 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 1: Marion Simms, who's considered the father of gynecology, whose statue 68 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:58,840 Speaker 1: was erected on the lawn of the Alabama State House. 69 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:02,440 Speaker 1: And for some background information, doctor Sims is known as 70 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 1: the father of modern gynecology for some of the recorded 71 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:08,440 Speaker 1: discoveries and experiments he conducted, but something that has often 72 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:12,600 Speaker 1: loved out is how he used enslaved women for experiments, 73 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:16,040 Speaker 1: and doing so without anesthesia, as he held onto the 74 00:04:16,120 --> 00:04:19,159 Speaker 1: racist theory that black women did not feel pain. He 75 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 1: himself was an enslaver, and it should also be noted 76 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:26,360 Speaker 1: that many scholars in medical organizations now believe that many 77 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:29,680 Speaker 1: of the things he claims to be the first to use, 78 00:04:30,279 --> 00:04:33,359 Speaker 1: like the type of speculum he used, were not actually 79 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:36,640 Speaker 1: the first time, and his procedures were deemed as cruel 80 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 1: or even dangerous, and in fact, the statue of doctor 81 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 1: Sims was removed from New York's Central Park in twenty eighteen, 82 00:04:43,839 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 1: but unfortunately remains in Alabama, and Browder not only saw 83 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:52,159 Speaker 1: the injustice of this narrative, but also the complete erasure 84 00:04:52,279 --> 00:04:55,200 Speaker 1: of the women who were so cruelly used and discarded 85 00:04:55,480 --> 00:04:58,360 Speaker 1: not only by the people and the doctors, but by history. 86 00:04:58,880 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 1: She told People magazine about the experiences of this woman. 87 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:04,640 Speaker 1: She said, it was a crime against humanity. Often these 88 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:08,080 Speaker 1: girls would have to hold each other down. Lucy, who 89 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 1: was one of the women's that she recognizes, had twelve 90 00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:14,200 Speaker 1: surgeries and it nearly killed her and there are reports 91 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:17,839 Speaker 1: of her screaming in pain. And yeah, she was infuriated 92 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:21,479 Speaker 1: by the lack of acknowledgment and recognition of the enslaved women. 93 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:24,960 Speaker 1: And she said, how can this one person be elevated 94 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:29,279 Speaker 1: and amplified and heralded as the father of modern gynecology, 95 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:33,039 Speaker 1: but there's no mention of these enslaved women, girls that 96 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 1: were raped and trafficked. I said, I'm going to change that, 97 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:39,000 Speaker 1: and I'm going to erect a monument. And she did. 98 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:42,000 Speaker 1: In twenty twenty two, on Mother's Day, Browder unveiled the 99 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:45,400 Speaker 1: Mothers of Gynecology monument. The monument is made up of 100 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:49,919 Speaker 1: three women figures representing the women who were discovered to 101 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:53,440 Speaker 1: be three of dozens of unsaved women who were experimented 102 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:57,560 Speaker 1: on by doctor Simms. The women were Anarca, Lucy, and Betsy. 103 00:05:58,320 --> 00:06:00,640 Speaker 1: Doctor Simms had used them to try to develop a 104 00:06:00,640 --> 00:06:05,200 Speaker 1: way to repair a painful terror caused by hard childbirth, 105 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:09,919 Speaker 1: called vaginal fistula, but he did it by repeatedly performing 106 00:06:09,960 --> 00:06:15,080 Speaker 1: surgeries without anesthesia. Right. Browder designed the different statues with 107 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:17,440 Speaker 1: the help of a team of artists from Montgomery and 108 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:20,520 Speaker 1: San Francisco. So here's a description of the figures from 109 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 1: a Washington Post article. And Arca has a gaping hole 110 00:06:24,400 --> 00:06:27,880 Speaker 1: through her midsection. Her womb stands alone nearby, made of 111 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:31,000 Speaker 1: gold mesh and containing objects that would make any woman 112 00:06:31,080 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 1: shudder in this context needles, medical instruments, scissors, cut glass, 113 00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:38,640 Speaker 1: anything sharp, any object that looks like it could harm you. 114 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:42,200 Speaker 1: Said Deborah Cedric, a Montgomery artist recruited by Browder, to 115 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:45,840 Speaker 1: the wombmaker, I wanted you to experience the physical pain, 116 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:49,360 Speaker 1: the emotional pain, the spiritual pain. And then there's Lucy, 117 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:53,080 Speaker 1: who stays nine feet tall, wears hair in bontu knots 118 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:57,480 Speaker 1: to convey that quote. Black women are stigmatized for wearing 119 00:06:57,480 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 1: their hairs and natural coils. Browder said Betsy at twelve 120 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:05,120 Speaker 1: feet is pregnant, signifying that black women are more likely 121 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:09,000 Speaker 1: to die of complications from childbirth than white women and 122 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:13,280 Speaker 1: referencing other health disparities, and she wears a crown of speculums. 123 00:07:14,080 --> 00:07:16,360 Speaker 1: And for a lot of the materials they used, they 124 00:07:16,360 --> 00:07:19,120 Speaker 1: were given to them by friends and others who responded 125 00:07:19,160 --> 00:07:22,120 Speaker 1: to the call Broader had made to get these materials, 126 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:26,400 Speaker 1: which included chains, hinges, tools, and even kitchen items. And 127 00:07:26,480 --> 00:07:28,560 Speaker 1: she told the Post in the article about her work, 128 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:31,120 Speaker 1: she said, I made all of their jewelry to help 129 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:34,560 Speaker 1: bring humanity to them. The condition they suffered from alone 130 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:52,320 Speaker 1: is the meaning. These amazing monuments aren't her only working concepts. 131 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:56,600 Speaker 1: Broader also runs a youth empowerment initiative which includes creating 132 00:07:56,640 --> 00:08:01,360 Speaker 1: a campus which would include a park, gullies, resources and 133 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:05,200 Speaker 1: student centers and so much more. She runs historical tours 134 00:08:05,280 --> 00:08:09,520 Speaker 1: called More Than Tours, which provides educational tours about racial 135 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:13,840 Speaker 1: bias and history in Montgomery, Alabama, and just recently, Browder 136 00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:17,760 Speaker 1: purchased the site where the makeshift hospital Doctor Sims created 137 00:08:17,800 --> 00:08:21,280 Speaker 1: to torture the enslaved women once stood and she plans 138 00:08:21,320 --> 00:08:24,800 Speaker 1: to make it a museum, clinic and training space for 139 00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:28,240 Speaker 1: medical students. She said in another interview, whether it's a 140 00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:30,920 Speaker 1: duelo service if you just need that friend to walk 141 00:08:30,960 --> 00:08:34,800 Speaker 1: you through prenatal care or after postpartum depression. We want 142 00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:37,240 Speaker 1: to provide a safe place for women and birthing people 143 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:40,160 Speaker 1: to come and find some relief, find a friend, and 144 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:43,439 Speaker 1: then also find some support, which would take place in 145 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:46,320 Speaker 1: the Brothers of Gynecology, Health and Wellness clinic. They have 146 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:50,640 Speaker 1: planned for in that space, and groundbreaking is scheduled for 147 00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:54,840 Speaker 1: Mother's Day twenty twenty three. Yeah. Of course, she's being 148 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:58,480 Speaker 1: recognized for her amazing work, including being given the Community 149 00:08:58,559 --> 00:09:02,920 Speaker 1: Hero Award by Thegomery Mayer presented the Rising Star Tourism 150 00:09:02,960 --> 00:09:05,920 Speaker 1: Award from the State of Alabama, and named as one 151 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:08,400 Speaker 1: of the USA Today's Women of the Year in twenty 152 00:09:08,440 --> 00:09:11,600 Speaker 1: twenty two. So obviously she's doing some amazing works. We're 153 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:14,160 Speaker 1: definitely going to keep an eye out on what she's doing. 154 00:09:14,400 --> 00:09:16,240 Speaker 1: Maybe we should do a visit. To be honest, I 155 00:09:16,240 --> 00:09:18,120 Speaker 1: feel like we need to do this tour. I think 156 00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:21,240 Speaker 1: she had paused the tour during the pandemic and release 157 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:23,960 Speaker 1: of the monument, which was a huge project for her, 158 00:09:24,520 --> 00:09:26,360 Speaker 1: but we should chat. I think we need to go 159 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:28,800 Speaker 1: check it out. I think that would be our next visit. 160 00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:33,200 Speaker 1: That would be a good one. Yeah. Well, any listeners 161 00:09:33,200 --> 00:09:37,280 Speaker 1: who have any more information about that have visited, yeah, 162 00:09:37,559 --> 00:09:39,600 Speaker 1: know about any of this, That would be awesome if 163 00:09:39,640 --> 00:09:42,559 Speaker 1: you could contact us, and also if you have any 164 00:09:42,559 --> 00:09:46,000 Speaker 1: more suggestions for people we should cover in this segment, 165 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:49,640 Speaker 1: always welcome. You can email us at Steff the media mom, 166 00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:52,360 Speaker 1: Steff at iHeartMedia dot com. You can find us on 167 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:57,480 Speaker 1: Twitter at most of podcast, or on Instagram and TikTok 168 00:09:57,960 --> 00:10:01,360 Speaker 1: at Steff Moon never told you. Also on YouTube if 169 00:10:01,360 --> 00:10:10,960 Speaker 1: that's your thing. Oh yeah, we're everywhere almost yes, Thanks 170 00:10:11,160 --> 00:10:15,960 Speaker 1: as always to our super producer Christina, who should be everywhere. 171 00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:20,440 Speaker 1: She's putting us everywhere. Yes, yes, amazing, amazing, Thanks to 172 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:26,400 Speaker 1: Joey who is putting us on TikTok and these social media's. Yeah. 173 00:10:26,520 --> 00:10:29,840 Speaker 1: So that's your yes, um, and thanks to you for listening. 174 00:10:30,120 --> 00:10:33,200 Speaker 1: Stephner told you the production of iHeartRadio. For more podcast 175 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:34,760 Speaker 1: from my Heart Radio, you can check out the heart 176 00:10:34,840 --> 00:10:37,000 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your 177 00:10:37,040 --> 00:10:37,760 Speaker 1: favorite shows.