ReproNews: Contact Your Legislators!

Rooted in Fertile Ground

Kaitlyn Crook, SLA Public Health ‘21

Black Birth Matters. A simple yet profound statement. A statement made in response to the alarming rate of negative birth outcomes and experiences Black women and parenting people face at each socio-economic level in the United States and abroad. In 2021, awareness about Black women’s increased risk of pregnancy-related complications is at an all-time high. However, it seems the narrative is shaped by fear, anxiety, and bleakness. During this past Black maternal health week, an Instagram post that went viral analyzed and critiqued this dynamic. Shishi Rose, a Black mother, airs her grievances, stating, “Telling Black folks that we keep dying giving birth doesn’t stop Black folks from dying giving birth.” She culminates her post by asking the question, “What if the conversations about Black birth was centered on giving Black families resources, access to care, education, love and protection for their entire parenting journey.” The Black Birth Matters convening, hosted by Birthmark Doula Collective and the New Orleans Breastfeeding Center, is a space that begins to have these conversations and shift the narrative.

The Black Birth Matters conference was birthed in 2016 by an intentional sub-group of Birthmark Doula Collective to organize and raise funds to support women of color in receiving birth doula services. When I began working on the Black Birth Matters Committee, Chae Pounds and Victoria Williams, the leads for this program, made it abundantly clear that this conference would not be pessimistic and center death and struggle, but rather focus on community and improving health outcomes. This year’s theme is Whole Birthing People, Whole Birth workers, Whole Communities: Rooted in Fertile Ground. To be rooted in fertile ground signifies that we will be based in our history, our culture, and our “roots” so to speak. Our keynote speaker, Dr. Afiya Mbilishaka, who coined the practice and research of “PsychoHairapy” will address the cultural significance of hair to the Black community and Black motherhood, in particular. There will be workshops and panel presentations that aim to demonstrate the strength of community with both evidence-based research and lived experience and provide possible interventions for healing and supporting the health and wellness of Black parenting people during pregnancy and postpartum. Black Birth Matters will also host a global MCH panel that includes birth workers from various countries around the globe to provide further perspective on birth work.

The 2021 Black Birth Matters convening is an event that positions Black birthing people at the forefront and brings Black birth workers, medical professionals, healers, wise women, government officials, activists, and families together to collaborate and dialogue about the dynamics involved in reducing the disparities in birth outcomes and promoting wellness within our community. This convening further highlights the Black birth experience and demonstrates the importance of autonomy and community, as opposed to just being consumed by the harrowing statistics of Black maternal mortality and morbidity.

Editors’ Note