Black women were distinctly aware of their location in the plantation economy. And with this awareness, they often deployed surreptitious methods to affirm their reproductive autonomy and resist the dominance of their enslavers and the doctors who stood to profit through the harm infected on Black women's bodies.
Ivy Valentine
Ivy Valentine (she/her) is the Founding Director of The Solidarity Society. Holding an M.A. in Labor Studies, her work as an independent scholar analyzes the relationships between the state and enslaved people through a historical analysis of labor power and social reproduction. She is also the Founder of Medusa's Vineyard, set to debut in March 2025 as a Black feminist sanctuary for comics and culture. Follow her on Blue Sky at @IvyValentine305.