Justine Prince

Hi, my name is Justine and I am a current senior at Johns Hopkins University. With majors in Anthropology and Medicine, Science, and the Humanities, I am passionate towards applying qualitative methods to questions around health and disability, and the way that they influence interactions between individuals and their (social and built) environments. I am excited to continue learning more the relationship between health and the social sciences.

My final project for Blackstorytelling centers on the life and legacy of Mary Eliza Mahoney, the first African-American, formally-trained nurse of the United States. Through an analysis of existing archives, I aim to produce a children's book which addresses themes around the history of Black women as caregivers and, most importantly, the life and legacy of Mary Mahoney herself. Furthermore, within the book I will highlight the fact that providing care has both mental and physical effects on the Black woman, and rather than hide this pain with a façade of resilience, it must be acknowledged.

Reflection 1

... Another element of the museum that I was drawn to was the broad range of wax figures that were on display. I admit that prior to the visit, I expected to see figures that were born in or important to African-American history. However, I was thrilled to see that the figures represented notable people ranging from all over the diaspora. This exemplifies the fact that there is truly no one way to restrict Black history to one specific region or area. Rather, our roots are interwoven, and I posit that there is no one way to truly untangle them. One last lingering question is if the museum was truly meant for children. This is a question that remained with me following the podcast, and even as I walked through the different rooms. Overall, I know that as a child, visiting such a space would have likely been difficult to endure. I was and still am a bit squeamish when it comes to stories of brutality/pain. However, it must be acknowledged that such stories, while they may be difficult to listen to, must not be silenced and continue to be reflected through the state of the world today. Therefore, while the museum does address topics that may be difficult for children to grasp, these conversations are fundamental to the experience of growing up as a Black youth in this country.

Reflection 2

During the second visit to the NGBWM, it was great to learn about the finer details behind the wax figures and the museum as a whole. To hear Dr. Martin explain how she and her husband went from 3 wax figures, which they kept in their apartment, to the expansive space that is now the museum (and which is soon to be expanded), was very inspiring. Furthermore, I also learned that the idea for the slave ship belonged to Dr. Elmer Martin, and that the ship in its entirety was built inside the museum. When I asked Dr. Martin, she explained that her husband intended for the ship to be a truly immersive experience that engages the senses. And as I walked down the steep stairs into the low-lit inside of the ship, I found that Dr. Elmer Martin was successful.

Reflection 3

...With this, I turn to the recent DBH production of Is God Is. As I think of the role of the Black woman as a caretaker, I return to the character of She and the position that She had in the play. Firstly, She as a character is meant to be a metaphor to God. This is quite literally demonstrated when her daughters, Racine and Anaia, must pass through expansive double doors, titled “Before God, in order to enter her [She’s] hospital room. Overall, She is meant to refer to God, which in my interpretation, emphasizes the larger-than-life nature of the Black mother. To provide a bit of context, She, Anaia, and Racine were all horribly burned in a fire. Despite having the worst burns, She was still expected to be the primary caregiver for her daughters, as the male figure of the family was no longer present (he had abandoned them and established a new family). This relates to the high standards and expectations that are imposed on Black women when it comes to caregiving—despite pain and suffering, we are expected to recover and persevere.

To connect this to the Black World, I would argue that public health messaging must take language into consideration, and recognize that not only does the medium through which messaging is communicated matter, but also the language that is used has an influence on its reception. This can be put into action by taking extra time and precautions to translate materials from (presumably) English into another language, or even through researching the etymology of certain words/phrases that are being used.

Reflection 4

What are you stuck on with your project? What's exciting? Where do you need help?

At this point in my project, I am focused on refining the first draft of my script to include more of Mary Mahoney’s voice. In the draft I have now of my children’s book, while I am quite certain of how I would like the story to progress, I am having a bit of trouble translating that into not simply a narrative, but an expression of Mary Mahoney herself. When I first read the book out to the class, I found that it simply read as such, and that Mary Mahoney’s experience was not really featured. As I work on my next draft, I intend to incorporate more of the first-person perspective, i.e. speaking with “I”, in order to truly try to embody Mary Mahoney as a figure. In the meantime, I intend to have a conversation with a librarian who has expertise in the departments of History and Africana Studies on Thursday. I hope that our meeting will allow me to gain insight into some of the techniques and sources that I would reference in order to expand the number of primary material that I currently have. Overall, once I fine-tune the written portion of my book, I am excited to conceptualize and complete the images as well. I admit that I am not an artist, so I imagine that the process will be quite interesting.

Reflection 5

Reflection on Performance

Thinking back on my performance, I do agree with all that was said regarding the limitations that come about from doing a children’s book. Holding the book, I did feel restricted in my actions, and found it difficult to gesture as I was performing. However, I do think that the second time around, I performed with better confidence than I did in the classroom. I did feel that the information that I added on Mary Mahoney did allow me to better represent her life and experiences, and also seemed less formal/sterile. As I watch the video, first, I admit that my allergies were bothering me, hence my constant sniffling. Second, I wish that I had read with more passion. I tried to do an accent for Mary Mahoney, but found it difficult to keep it consistent throughout the performance. Lastly, in hindsight, I would have added a bit more on the experience Mary Mahoney faced in school, especially from her white peers. How did that make her feel, what ways did they possibly try to break her spirit, how did they feel knowing that she was so successful in school and beyond? These are questions that my performance did not address, but I do believe they are worth knowing the answers to. Overall, I recognize where there is room for my performance, but am not dissatisfied with how it went.

Mary Eliza Mahoney

Image sourced from: https://blackdoctor.org/mary-mahoney-activist-americas-first-black-registered-nurse/

The Trajectory Of My Project

Research Process

The research for this project was heavily dependent on the use of library resources. I am fortunate to have access to the databases and catalog of the Johns Hopkins University Sheridan Libraries. Through the libraries catalog, I accessed two books which formed the foundation of my background of Mary Eliza Mahoney:

Nursing History in Brief by Minnie Goodnow, R.N.
Mary Eliza Mahoney and the Legacy of African-American Nurses (Women in Medicine) by Susan Muaddi Darraj

In addition to these two books, I made multiple references to this New York Times article by Sarah Fielding. I would like to acknowledge that my status as a JHU student provides free access to all NYT articles, which allowed me to view this article without a paywall.

As I continued to read on the life and accomplishments of Mary Eliza Mahoney, I felt as if something was missing--her voice. I struggled to find direct quotes of her, rather, it seemed that most literature was secondary material, i.e., things said of her, rather than by her. I did not want my project to read like a report, but rather an embodiment of what she would have felt and experienced as a Black nurse within a predominately-white and prejudiced medical space. As I grappled with this conflict, I reached out to my instructors, who directed me to Heather Furnas, Librarian for History, Africana Studies, and History of Science & Technology at the Sheridan Libraries. I met with Ms. Furnas virtually and she helped me navigate through the databases of the The American Journal of Nursing, which allowed me to give more voice to Mary Eliza Mahoney.

After completing the proposal for my project, Mama Janice offered to connect me with two close friends of hers: Mama Vicky and Mrs. Lisa Scott, MPA, BSN, RN, CCM. Mama Vicky was one of the first Black nurses in this country. She served in the Peace Corps nursing and protecting children during the Rwandan slaughter. Lisa Scott, MPA, BSN, RN, CCM, is a registered RN. Not only is Mrs. Scott a registered nurse, but she is also the mother of adult quadruplets and the caregiver for her aging mother. Both Mama Vicky and Mrs. Scott offered powerful and engaging first-hand perspectives on caregiving as Black women. I am grateful for this addition to my project.

After doing the research needed to develop my script, the final element needed to complete my storybook were the illustrations. I admit that I am not the most talented artist, so I knew that my illustrations were likely going to be digital. I found the online resource, Pixton, and quickly learned how to use its features. The only caveat was that the website is free to use, but in order to save and download the final product (which was necessary in order for me to print it), I had to pay for a subscription. However, given the ease of the website and the fact that I was happy with the results, I found that this purchase was worth it in the end.

The New England Hospital for Women and Children

Now known as the Dimock Center, this is the institution that first employed Mary Eliza Mahoney as a maid and later trained her as a nurse.

Image sourced from: https://www.cardcow.com/509848/boston-massachusetts-new-england-hospital-women-children/

Drafting Stages

My first draft of this project and the final draft, which I performed at the NGBWM, had a few differences. In my first draft, there was less focus on Mary Eliza Mahoney as a figure, and most importantly, as a Black women who was extremely talented and successful in an overwhelmingly white medical space. Missing from the first draft was this question of race relations: how did Mary's peers and teachers view her? How was Mary perceived by her patients, who may not be used to seeing, let alone being cared by, an educated, trained, Black woman? These are questions that I had to consider when conceptualizing my final product.

Final Storybook and Script

Note: The asterisks (*) present throughout the story represent shifts in time. At these points, the reader and performer are moved from the present-time, which holds the narrative of Mia and her mother, and the past, the time to Mary Eliza Mahoney belongs.

Final Draft.pdf

View My Performance!

I'd like to express my gratitude to Dr. Jasmine Blanks Jones, Mama Janice, and to all of my Blackstorytelling classmates. The classroom environment was welcoming, supportive, while also challenging in a sense that I was brought out of my comfort zone. However, without dwelling in the uncomfortable, there will be little room for true growth and learning. I would also like to say thank you to Mama Vicky and Mrs. Lisa Scott, MPA, BSN, RN, CCM, for sharing your stories regarding the caregiver experience as Black women; both of your insights were invaluable and I will continue to reflect on them long after this project. This learning experience is one that I will never forget--not only did I learn about the dynamic between public health and theater, but I also learned to further understand and appreciate what it means to belong to a Black World. Thank you again!

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