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Untitled Arlene Carmen Documentary

Sponsored Project

  • Linda Goldstein Knowlton, Director/Producer
  • Tessa Carmen DeRoy, Director/Producer
Image of Arlene Carmen, a white woman in her 40's with curly dark hair. She is smiling and resting her face in hand; she is wearing a gold ring and a wristwatch.

About the Project

From 1967 until her untimely death in 1994, Arlene Carmen was the administrator of Judson Memorial Church in Greenwich village. During that time, with the support of its members and in a one-of-a-kind partnership with Reverend Howard Moody, she:

Ran the NY and National Clergy Consultation Service on Abortion, a network of 1400 ministers and rabbis that helped over 500,000 women obtain safe but illegal abortions in the 6 years prior to Roe v. Wade.

Founded the Judson Prostitution Project which created a mobile unit that provided sex workers in Time Square a safe place to rest, build community and access medical, legal and social services.

Imported treatments for HIV/AIDS before they had been approved by the FDA.

Everything Arlene and Howard did was grounded in the principles of dignity, self determination and shared humanity. Much of it was illegal.