Midwives of Invention: Black Healers and Reconciling Worldviews of Wellness in American Emancipation.

This article focuses on the critical role of Black midwives, often called "grannies," in refugee camps during the American Civil War, highlighting their contributions to childbirth, healthcare, and community leadership amid the transition from slavery to freedom. It emphasizes how these midwives combined medical knowledge, spiritual practice, and folk healing traditions to support Black mothers and children, often in the absence of adequate Union medical care. The article also explores the tensions between Black midwives’ relational and ritualistic approaches to health and the emerging professionalized, male-dominated medical establishment, as well as the broader political and social implications of Black reproductive labor during emancipation. By centering Black women’s experiences and expertise, the article expands the historical narrative of emancipation beyond soldiers to include the vital, yet often overlooked, contributions of Black mothers and midwives.