SC lawmaker proposes removing Sims monument from State House grounds. Here's why

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- A South Carolina Democrat is pushing to remove a monument from the State House grounds dedicated to J. Marion Sims, the controversial father of gynecology who conducted experiments on enslaved women without anesthesia.

Sen. Gerald Malloy, D-Darlington, filed a joint resolution Wednesday afternoon aimed at repealing the 1928 law that called for the monument’s erection.

“In today’s world, we know that there were some major contributions to the medical field, but there was also engagement in inhumane practices in efforts to do so,” Malloy said on the Senate floor. “These inhumane practices don’t reflect that values that we have here in this body today.”

Sims pioneered the field of gynecological medicine, developing several tools and techniques still used today. He also served as the president of the American Medical Association and helped found the American Gynecological Association.

However, Sims practiced on enslaved Black women during the 19th century, and his experiments are now largely considered unethical.

Read more at: https://www.thestate.com/news/politics-government/article257255297.html