Who is Anarcha Westcott?

The Anarcha Center is named in honor of Anarcha Westcott, a 17-year-old enslaved girl who was subjected to brutal experimental gynecological surgeries, without any anesthetics shortly after giving birth for the first time.

Anarcha, along with Betsey Harris and Lucy Zimmerman, were 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. We recognize and acknowledge Anarcha, Betsey and Lucy as the Mothers of Gynecology