Doctor Who Mutilated and Tortured Black Women Honored Around America

In the Alabama State Capitol building, a painting portraying Doctor James Marian Sims, who held the Presidency of the American Medical Association from 1876 to 1877 and established America’s first cancer institute, hangs in tribute to him.

A Painting by Robert Thom, part of the Great Moments in Medicine series representing Lucy, Anarcha, and Betsey, three slaves Sims operated upon.

On the grounds of the South Carolina State House, a stone monument stands in honor of the famed physician, notable for groundbreaking gynecological tools and procedures, including surgically assisted childbirth. Additionally, a State Health Department building, also in the South Carolina capitol is named for the doctor.

A state health department building in Columbia, South Carolina, bears Sims’ name. [ Image Credit: Michael Pronzato ]

The Monument to James Marion Sims at the South Carolina State House in Columbia, SC. [ Image by Billy Hathorn ]

In New York City, yet another statue of the famed Dr. Sims was removed in 2018 after a series of protests.