"Manual for Midwives," circa 1935

At the turn of 20th century, Southern midwives--many of whom were Black women with little formal education--faced discrimination from the medical establishment. In 1920s and 1930s, public health officials established training programs to "modernize" midwifery at the cost of traditional practices. The state of Mississippi made this manual to teach midwives nursing skills that standardized care for expectant mothers