Mindell was born in Minsk, Russia on December 15, 1894. She emigrated to Brooklyn, New York in 1906 with her parents and family, and became a US citizen in 1919.[1] She was an accomplished artist, and became a set and costume designer for Broadway theaters in New York.[2] She translated dramatic materials from Russian to English including her version of Maxim Gorky's play, "Night Lodging", which was performed at the Plymouth Theater in 1920.[3][4]Edward G. Robinson was among the performers.[5] Fania was also the proprietor of Little Russia, a small boutique in Greenwich Village, just off Washington Square which featured curios from Russia, but her true passion was for feminist and progressive causes.[6][7]
As a young political activist in 1916 she met the now famous feminist Margaret Sanger and her sister Ethel Byrne. Together, the three women opened the first birth control clinic in the United States in Brooklyn known as the "Brownsville Clinic" (after the Brownsville section of Brooklyn in which it was located).[8] The clinic caused an immediate sensation in the press, getting national attention, and all three women were arrested and tried for "distributing obscene materials".
"The police monitored the Clinic from its opening and sent in a female undercover agent to purchase contraceptive supplies. On October 26 (1916) an undercover police woman and vice-squad officers raided the clinic, confiscated an assortment of contraceptives from pessaries to condoms, along with 20 'books on young women', and arrested Sanger, Byrne and Mindell. After being arraigned, Sanger and Mindell spent the night in the Raymond Street jail, Byrne at the Liberty Avenue station. All were released the next morning on $500.00 bail."[9]
All three women were found guilty, but eventually the verdicts were overturned, and their campaign was ultimately successful, leading to major changes in social policy and to the laws governing birth control and sex education around the world.[10][11] The clinic closed but later became the basis for what was to become known as Planned Parenthood.
On December 3, 1929 Fania married Ralph Edmund LeClercq Roeder, a scholar, historian, and author who shared her interest in drama and theater, and in leftist causes.[12] The couple traveled extensively- in Europe, the Caribbean, and Haiti in the 1930s- but seem to have fallen in love with Mexico by the 1940s. Fania's brother, Jacob "Pop" Mindel, a dentist by profession, was a Communist Party member who was later prosecuted and jailed under the Smith Act.[13][14] Her brother's views and her association with leftist causes may have influenced the Roeder's decision to move to Mexico by the 1950s when McCarthyism was prevalent in the United States. During this period many political activists, artists and intellectuals from the United States sought refuge in Mexico.[15] Fania and her husband spent much of their later lives there as expatriates in Mexico City where Ralph studied and authored a number of books including a seminal biography of Benito Juárez for which he was honored with Mexico's highest literary award, the Orden del Águila Azteca.[16]
Fania and her husband both died in Mexico City in 1969 – Fania in July and her husband in October. Both are buried there in the city's Panteón de Dolores.[17]
^Fania Esiah Mindell, American Feminist at Find a Grave
December 28, 2022
fania, mindell, fania, esiah, mindell, december, 1894, july, 1969, american, feminist, activist, theater, artist, mindell, outside, brooklyn, courthouse, 1917bornfania, esiah, mindell, 1894, december, 1894minsk, belarus, russiadiedjuly, 1969, 1969, aged, mexic. Fania Esiah Mindell December 15 1894 July 18 1969 was an American feminist activist and theater artist Fania MindellMindell outside Brooklyn courthouse in 1917BornFania Esiah Mindell 1894 12 15 December 15 1894Minsk Belarus RussiaDiedJuly 18 1969 1969 07 18 aged 74 Mexico City MexicoKnown forCo founding what later became Planned ParenthoodSpouseRalph Edmund LeClercq Roeder Contents 1 Life and career 2 ReferencesLife and career EditMindell was born in Minsk Russia on December 15 1894 She emigrated to Brooklyn New York in 1906 with her parents and family and became a US citizen in 1919 1 She was an accomplished artist and became a set and costume designer for Broadway theaters in New York 2 She translated dramatic materials from Russian to English including her version of Maxim Gorky s play Night Lodging which was performed at the Plymouth Theater in 1920 3 4 Edward G Robinson was among the performers 5 Fania was also the proprietor of Little Russia a small boutique in Greenwich Village just off Washington Square which featured curios from Russia but her true passion was for feminist and progressive causes 6 7 As a young political activist in 1916 she met the now famous feminist Margaret Sanger and her sister Ethel Byrne Together the three women opened the first birth control clinic in the United States in Brooklyn known as the Brownsville Clinic after the Brownsville section of Brooklyn in which it was located 8 The clinic caused an immediate sensation in the press getting national attention and all three women were arrested and tried for distributing obscene materials The police monitored the Clinic from its opening and sent in a female undercover agent to purchase contraceptive supplies On October 26 1916 an undercover police woman and vice squad officers raided the clinic confiscated an assortment of contraceptives from pessaries to condoms along with 20 books on young women and arrested Sanger Byrne and Mindell After being arraigned Sanger and Mindell spent the night in the Raymond Street jail Byrne at the Liberty Avenue station All were released the next morning on 500 00 bail 9 All three women were found guilty but eventually the verdicts were overturned and their campaign was ultimately successful leading to major changes in social policy and to the laws governing birth control and sex education around the world 10 11 The clinic closed but later became the basis for what was to become known as Planned Parenthood On December 3 1929 Fania married Ralph Edmund LeClercq Roeder a scholar historian and author who shared her interest in drama and theater and in leftist causes 12 The couple traveled extensively in Europe the Caribbean and Haiti in the 1930s but seem to have fallen in love with Mexico by the 1940s Fania s brother Jacob Pop Mindel a dentist by profession was a Communist Party member who was later prosecuted and jailed under the Smith Act 13 14 Her brother s views and her association with leftist causes may have influenced the Roeder s decision to move to Mexico by the 1950s when McCarthyism was prevalent in the United States During this period many political activists artists and intellectuals from the United States sought refuge in Mexico 15 Fania and her husband spent much of their later lives there as expatriates in Mexico City where Ralph studied and authored a number of books including a seminal biography of Benito Juarez for which he was honored with Mexico s highest literary award the Orden del Aguila Azteca 16 Fania and her husband both died in Mexico City in 1969 Fania in July and her husband in October Both are buried there in the city s Panteon de Dolores 17 References Edit Art portal Biography portal Feminism portal New York City portal Human sexuality portal Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fania Mindell U S Passport Applications 1795 1925 Who is Fania Mindell New York Times Sunday January 11 1920 Gorky Maksim Transl by Fania Mindell Night Lodging 1919 Print 196 pages L A Sulveritsky Transl by Fania Mindell A Tchehov Note The New Republic 30 388 May 22 1922 pp 312 313 The Broadway League Night Lodging IBDB The official source for Broadway Information ibdb com Retrieved April 12 2016 Egmont Arens 1918 The Little Book of Greenwich Village a Handbook of Information Concerning New York s Bohemia With Which is Incorporated a Map and Directory https archive org details littlebookofgree00aren page 4 mode 2up ref ol amp view theater amp q Russia Fania Mindell Machine Millinery International Socialist Review 16 3 9 15 173 174 Organized millinery workers in Chicago Sullivan Taylor Brownsville Clinic Margaret Sanger Papers Project New York University Retrieved September 13 2018 Margaret Sanger Papers Project NYU Mrs Sanger Gets 30 Days Washington Post February 7 1917 Mrs Sanger s Aide Is Found Guilty New York Times January 9 1917 New York New York Marriage Indexes 1866 1937 Bail of 13 Reds Revoked Hunt Begun Stars and Stripes January 13 1955 p 3 Letter Bertrand Russell Urges Parole for Jacob Mindel The Collected Papers of Bertrand Russell Volume 29 Detente or Destruction 1955 57 Anhalt Diana 2001 A Gathering of Fugitives American Political Expatriates in Mexico 1948 1965 Santa Maria CA Archer Books New York Times Obituary February 21 1970 Fania Esiah Mindell American Feminist at Find a Grave Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Fania Mindell amp oldid 1122506693, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
