Guest: Lilly Marcelin, Founder & Executive Director of the Resilient Sisterhood Project (RSP)
Host: Carole Copeland Thomas
Episode Length: ~43 minutes
Original Air Date: August 5, 2025
Featured Event: Call and Response: Gynecology Art Exhibition
Location: Urban Farming Institute of Boston
Date & Time: Saturday, August 9, 2025 | 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Tickets: $20 | urbanfarminginstitute.org
Episode Summary:
In this powerful episode, Carole Copeland Thomas sits down with Haitian-born activist and visionary leader Lilly Marcelin, founder of the Resilient Sisterhood Project (RSP), to explore the intersection of art, medicine, Black history, and reproductive justice. What begins as a conversation about an upcoming art exhibition evolves into a profound journey through the untold stories of Anarcha, Betsy, and Lucy—three teenage enslaved girls subjected to brutal gynecological experiments in the 1840s by Dr. James Marion Sims, often lauded as the “father of modern gynecology.”
Marcelin shares how her early work with survivors of gender-based violence led her to uncover the silenced reproductive struggles of Black women—both past and present. She recounts the birth of the Resilient Sisterhood Project and its commitment to lifting the veil on generational medical inequities and racism through education, advocacy, and the arts.
The conversation highlights the upcoming Call and Response exhibition, featuring haunting and humanizing portraits by New York-based artist Jules Arthur. With six original paintings of Anarcha, Betsy, and Lucy, the exhibit reclaims their stories and invites attendees to witness history through an unapologetically Black and feminist lens.
This episode is a tribute to resilience, remembrance, and the sacred power of storytelling. Don’t miss it.
Links Mentioned:
- Resilient Sisterhood Project: rsphealth.org
- Urban Farming Institute of Boston: urbanfarminginstitute.org
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