Podcasts about black mamas matter alliance

In this special episode of Pray with our Feet podcast, Mom and I chat with Yaa Abbensetts-Dobson, Michele Evans and Dr. Shameka Poetry Thomas, about the latest issue of Spoken Black Girl Magazine (which focuses on the Black motherhood experience) while also uplifting Black Maternal Health Week (April 11-17) founded by Black Mamas Matter Alliance.  We dive into the urgent need for community care, creating safe spaces for Black mothers and their children, resisting the suffocation of our wombs by oppressive systems, and the vital need for rest, mindfulness and radical self care in the tradition of Audre Lorde and June Jordan; each of these practices is a sacred form of resistance, sustaining us in the ongoing work of collective liberation.  We call our joy back to us, and remain rooted in our faith, despite the challenges.  Purchase your copy of Spoken Black Girl (Motherhood issue), where you can read "Swan Song," by Michele Evans, "Our Wombs Cannot Breathe: Wellness Power for Facing the Harsh Reality of Black Maternal-Child Health Disparities in the United States, by Dr. Shameka Poetry Thomas PhD & Dr. Kyrah K. Brown PhD, "Mothering at the Intersection of Blackness and Neurodiversity" by Emelda De Coteau alongside an array of talented writers and artists.  Stay Connected with the Writers: Yaa Abbensetts-Dobson, founder of Spoken Black Girl and author of Departure Story  Michele Evans, author of Purl (a collection of poetry)  Dr. Shameka Poetry Thomas, author of the forthcoming book entitled THE UGLY CRY: Essays and Meditations on Honesty, Anger, Grief, and Freedom. To be released Summer 2025.  >>> Head over to our webiste to see full show notes (includes the authors bios & additonal links to their work)   Help Us Spread the Word! If you enjoy the Pray with our Feet podcast, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, where you can subscribe to the show. You can also listen on Spotify, and on all major streaming platforms. BE in Community with Us:  Find devotionals, blog posts, and shop in our  online store.  Head over to Instagram and Threads where the conversation continues between episodes.   Enjoy our @PrayWithOurFeet IG Live series, Move it Forward Monday, uplifting conversations that spark change with activists, community leaders, artists and more.   Special thank you to my husband Keston De Coteau, for podcast production; he is an award-winning videographer and photographer.

April 11th- 17th officially marks Black Maternal Health Week—a week-long campaign centered on activism, awareness, and community-building for Black mamas and Black birthing people. Elizabeth Dawes, Director of Maternal and Reproductive Health and Senior Fellow at the Century Foundation and Co-Founder of the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, sits down to talk with us about the status of the Black maternal health crisis in the U.S. and the myriad, ongoing attacks to the Black community's health, rights, and wellbeing from the new administration. The U.S. maternal mortality crisis has seen an overall reduction in maternal death rates in every racial group except for Black birthing people-- due to racism and inequity at institutional, systemic, and interpersonal levels. This is despite continuous, targeted, and hard-fought advocacy since 2014. Solidifying key actors, distributing resources and funding, and amplifying direct, local care and Black-led initiatives can make a sizeable change and help tackle the persistent, systemic oppressions and health injustices disproportionately felt by Black individuals. You might be interested in the Public Health is Dead podcast: https://www.publichealthisdead.com/ 9o03Support the showFollow Us on Social: Twitter: @rePROsFightBack Instagram: @reprosfbFacebook: rePROs Fight Back Bluesky: @reprosfightback.bsky.social Email us: jennie@reprosfightback.comRate and Review on Apple PodcastThanks for listening & keep fighting back!

This week Carolyn shares about attending a rally event to welcome the new Denver NWSL team. She has name ideas and they are… questionable. Danielle highlights the new WNBA bid out of Nashville. The name and the partners are awesome. They discuss both A'ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark as they attended their jersey retirements at South Carolina and Iowa respectively. Number 22 must be the number for GOATs. Carolyn deep dives into professional volleyball highlighting the Professional Volleyball Federation and LOVB. They LOVB it. Then Danielle deep dives in the WNBA Free Agency. Some teams are going to look very different this year and Carolyn and Danielle talk about winners and losers in this wild time.  New Women's Sports Weekly stickers are in! Follow on Instagram, @WomensSportsWeeklyPod. Follow Women's Sports Weekly on Spotify or Apple. Rate the pod 5 stars on Apple or Spotify Podcasts. Screenshot and send us a DM and we will send you a sticker while supplies last.February is Black History Month. A great way to make a difference is to support Black non-profits. Consider donating to the Black Mamas Matter Alliance.  A Black women-led nonprofit that advocates, drives research, builds power, and shifts culture for Black maternal health, rights, and justice. Here is the link to donate: https://www.mightycause.com/organization/Black-Mamas-Matter-Alliance

Send us a textAngela Aina, MPH is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Black Mamas Matter Alliance ( https://blackmamasmatter.org/ ), where she works to convene Black Maternal Health professionals and community-based organizations to develop trainings, programs, quality improvement initiatives, research projects, and black feminist advocacy strategies to advance holistic maternity service provision, policy, and systems change in global public health. Ms. Aina has over 16 years of public health experience, working in different capacities on projects focused on: incorporating health equity strategies into reproductive and maternal health initiatives; strengthening strategic planning and community-based workforce development; and data collection.Ms. Aina has previously served as a Public Health Analyst, Health Communications Specialist, and a Public Health Prevention Service Fellow at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), working on various issues including Zika and Pregnancy, scientific program management, and 2014 Ebola response staffing. Ms. Aina holds a Master of Public Health degree in International and Women's Health from Morehouse School of Medicine where she conducted a sequential mixed-method analysis of the reproductive health attitudes and behaviors of Nigerian-born immigrant women in the U.S., and a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgia State University in Psychology and African-American Studies. Ms. Aina's expertise and perspectives on Black Maternal Health has been featured in media outlets, such as the Huffington Post, The Atlantic, the Root, and HLN/CNN. In March of 2020, she was recognized as a 2020 WebMD Health Hero and highlighted as an advocate for Black Maternal Health in Time Magazine. She is passionate about and committed to work that seek to achieve: the self-determination of women of African descent; the elimination of violence against women; the promotion of Black and African women's rights and leadership; and womanist solutions to social and economic injustices. Ms. Aina enjoys all things diasporic Black cultural expressions in dance, music, art, fashion, theatre and film.#BlackMamasMatterAlliance #AngelaAina #MaternalHealth #Pregnancy #HumanRights #Prenatal #Perinatal #SocialJustice #Midwifery #Doula #MaternalMortality #GEHealthcareFoundation #Nigeria #Postpartum #ProgressPotentialAndPossibilities #IraPastor #Podcast #Podcaster #ViralPodcast #STEM #Innovation #Technology #Science #ResearchSupport the show

From her iconic role as Ashley Banks in "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" to her advocacy work supporting maternal health through her baby quilt company, Baby Yams, the multi-talented Tatyana Ali shares her journey as a child star, activist, and entrepreneur. Get ready for laughs, insights, and a trip down memory lane with one of the most beloved stars of the '90s. Plus, we celebrate Josephine Michalak, the world record holder for most units of blood donated in a lifetime.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Danielle Halstrom is President of the GE HealthCare Foundation ( https://www.gehealthcare.com/foundation ), a philanthropic foundation arm of GE HealthCare that supports nonprofit organizations aimed at making healthcare more accessible, personal, human, and flexible – and ultimately, strives to remove barriers that separate underserved communities from equitable healthcare. With an initial focus on improving maternal health outcomes globally, the Foundation addresses a critical need: Every two minutes, a woman dies due to pregnancy or childbirth-related complications, compounded by a severe shortage in primary care and midwifery professionals worldwide. Ms. Halstrom was previously Chief Communications and Corporate Marketing Officer for GE HealthCare. Prior to GE HealthCare, Ms. Halstrom was SVP and head of comms at biotechnology company Zai Lab, and at Bristol Myers Squibb as VP and head of commercial, research and development and manufacturing comms, including patient advocacy. Before that, she served in roles as senior director and leader of global colleague communications at Pfizer, Director, Product Communications at GlaxoSmithKline, and Manager, USHH Public Affairs at Merck. GE HealthCare ( https://www.gehealthcare.com/ ) is a leading global medical technology and digital solutions innovator, enabling clinicians to make faster, more informed decisions through intelligent devices, data analytics, applications and services. Important episode links Urban Institute - https://www.urban.org/ Lwala Community Alliance - https://lwala.org/ Black Mamas Matter Alliance - https://blackmamasmatter.org/ Project ECHO - https://projectecho.unm.edu/ Support the show

In our continued efforts to support improved Black maternal health, today Host Ramses Ja talks with Angela Doyinsola Aina, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Black Mamas Matter Alliance.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Angela Doyinsola Aina is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Black Mamas Matter Alliance. Today she joins us to discuss the 6th annual Black Maternal Health Week and the importance of Health Equity for the Black community .See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ ALONG WITH THE SHOW, YOU CAN ACCESS THIS EPISODES TRANSCRIPTION BY CLICKING THIS LINK: . https://docs.google.com/document/d/11xcAJ18bhK9CdWPtzc5LEprMV4GuZ-br_KK7_pFArCA/edit . . Combahee River Collective was a Black feminist lesbian socialist organization active in Boston from 1974 to 1980. The Collective argued that both the white feminist movement and the Civil Rights Movement were not addressing their particular needs as women and, more specifically, as Black lesbians founded by Barbara Smith. . . Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw is an American Civil Rights advocate and a leading scholar of critical race theory. She is a professor at the UCLA School of Law and Columbia Law School, where she specializes in race and gender issues. . . Reproductive justice is a critical, theoretical framework that was invented as a response to United States reproductive politics. The three core values of reproductive justice are the right to have a child, the right to not have a child, and the right to parent a child or children in safe and healthy environments. It is “the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities,” according to SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective, the first organization founded to build a reproductive justice movement. www.sistersong.net . . High risk pregnancy is one where a birthing person or the fetus has an increased risk of adverse outcomes compared to uncomplicated pregnancies. . . Preeclampsia is a pregnancy complication where high blood pressure and high levels of protein in urine indicate kidney damage. There can also be weight gain and swelling in the legs due to water retention. It can be managed with oral or IV medications and requires weighing the risks of early delivery versus the risk of continued symptoms. . . Medicaid in the U.S. is a federal and state program that helps with healthcare costs for some people with limited income and resources. Medicaid also offers benefits not normally covered by Medicare, including nursing home care and personal care. www.medicaid.gov  . . WIC is the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children is a federal assistance program of the Food and Nutrition Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture for healthcare and nutrition of low-income pregnant people, chestfeeding, and children under the age of five. . . The Bradley Method of natural childbirth is a method of natural childbirth developed in 1947 by Robert A. Bradley, M.D and popularized by his book, “Husband-Coached Childbirth” first published in 1965. The Bradley Method emphasizes that birth is a natural process. Mothers are encouraged to trust their body, and focus on diet and exercise throughout pregnancy; and it teaches couples to manage labor through deep breathing and the support of a partner or labor coach. . . NICU is a neonatal intensive care unit, also known as an intensive care nursery, is an intensive care unit specializing in the care of ill or premature newborn infants. Neonatal refers to the first 28 days of life. . . Richmond Doula Project is a collective of full spectrum doulas in Richmond, Virginia offering support and education to people through all pregnancy outcomes, centering POC, LGBTQIA, and other underserved communities. www.doulaprojectrva.org  . . Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project is Virginia's grassroots abortion fund and seeks to further reproductive justice by providing practical and financial support for abortion services in Virgina and surrounding communities. RRFP strives to be a resource to the community by engaging in grassroots advocacy for the full spectrum of reproductive rights. www.rrfp.net  . . Ancient Song Doula Services is an international doula certifying organization founded in the fall of 2008 in Brooklyn, New York with the goal to offer quality doula services to women of color and low income families who otherwise would not be able to afford doula care and training a workforce of full spectrum doula to address health inequities within the communities they want to serve. www.ancientsongdoulaservices.com  . . Maven Clinic is a privately held New York, NY company that offers a telemedicine-based virtual clinic for women's and family health. www.mavenclinic.com  . . Gofundme is an American for profit crowdfunding platform that allows people to raise money for events ranging from life events such as celebrations and graduations to challenging circumstances like accidents and illnesses. www.gofundme.com  . . Chestfeeding is  feeding your baby milk from your chest. It's often used as away for transgender and nonbinary parents to describe how they feed and nurture their babies. . . Lactation Happens is the first genderless chestfeeding class in Virginia created and taught by Aye J. . . The Afiya Center was established in response to the increasing disparities between HIV incidences worldwide and the extraordinary prevalence of HIV among Black womxn and girls in Texas. TAC is transforming the lives, health, and overall wellbeing of Black womxn and girls by providing refuge, education, and resources to ignite the communal voices of Black womxn resulting in our full achievement of reproductive freedom. www.theafiyacenter.org  . . Sister Song is a national activist organization dedicated to reproductive justice for women of color. www.sistersong.net  . . Black Mamas Matter Alliance is a Black women-led cross-sectoral alliance that centers Black mama and birthing people to advocate, drive research, build power, and shift culture for Black maternal health, rights, and justice. www.blackmamasmatter.org  . . Find more of Aye J, find them at @the_do_you_doula on Instagram . . www.queerdoulanetwork.com . . www.spajourneys.com Journeyspa_ on Instagram . . Original Podcast Beat Produced Mixed & Engineered By: Info Black Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/infoblack_ Twitter: https://twitter.com/infoblack_​ . . DONATIONS: . Patreon.com/symbaluna Paypal: journeyspa12@gmail.com Cashapp: $symbaluna Venmo: @symbaluna

Spirituality, and religion are two ways colonialism still lives in the US. In this entertaining, informative conversation with Thea Monyee, we discuss decolonizing psychotherapy, the role of African spirituality in grounding a spiritual awakening and more. Bio - Thea Monyee Monyeé's unapologetic work stems from her unwavering commitment to healing and her belief that true healing can only occur in a liberated and non-oppressive society. Monyeé is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who has contributed to online publications such as For Harriet, UpSpoken, and Black Girl in Om online publications; co-host of Dem Black Mamas podcast- Kinship Partner of Black Mamas Matter Alliance and art contributor to Project Row Houses 50th Round on Race, Health, & Motherhood; solo host of Shaping The Shift Podcast; and Director of Decolonization for the multimedia platform Black Girl Mixtape and co-creator of The Free Joy Experience; co-creator of EverWell, and intervention and education program to promote wellness for artists and their teams; as well as curator of The Blacker The Brain Decolonizing Mental Health Cohort, Campaign, and Conversation. Monyeé has partnered with corporations such as SnapChat, Spectrum, presented at the first annual CantuXCurlboxMasterclass, and is currently featured as a GoDaddy Maker to discuss mental health in marginalized communities and accessing joy & pleasure. She is the founder of MarleyAyo, a creative wellness consultation company focused on creating and nurturing a multi-dimensional eco-system that prioritizes the reintegration of spirit and liberation through education, media, consulting, and land stewardship. Monyeé enjoys creating work that dives into the intersections of healing through decolonization of joy, pleasure, and mental health. She serves as a contributor to SayWordLA and a board member of Manhood Camp for At-Risk males. Her most recent work Blood & Bajareque is available now through theamonyee.com/shop. Monyeé's Murmurs of a MadWoman: An Unconventional Memoir is available through Amazon. She is a signed fiction writer with Dystel, Goderich & Bourret with upcoming projects as well. She is currently studying to add certified sex therapist to her list of credits. About the Host Sanaa Green is a Divine Feminine spiritual teacher who helps women see their sacred essence through Nature, Sound (Center Her Power Podcast) and Belly Dance. In 2007, Sanaa began teaching Healing Belly Dance that has evolved in Belly Dance for Earth and Soul, Dance of the Priestess course. Her purpose is to support the reestablishment of the Divine Feminine principal in Black Women. She is a Lemurian Priestess with Tantric orientation, Belly Dance Teacher, Urban Nature Lover, Reiki Master, Feng Shui Consultant, Environmental Educator, Community Activist and a contributing Creative in the Wisdom Institutes' Passing The Torch Preserving the The Flame non-profit, transformational Womynst program. Sanaa has been spiritually trained in Black Hat Sect Tantric Buddhist Feng Shui, Reiki, Belly Dance, Dagara Elemental Rituals and more. Her academic training includes; Masters work in Ecopsychology at Naropa University and a BA in Communications from Howard University. Subscribe to the website for regular Divine Feminine connection! www.centerherpower.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sanaa-green0/message

The CDC reports that Black mothers die at three to four times the rate of white mothers and that the mortality rate of Black infants is higher than that of any other ethnic group in the U.S. Regardless of income and education level, childbirth for Black women is more dangerous than it is for white women. Even tennis legend Serena Williams had a dangerously close call during her pregnancy. In examining why these disparities are so stark, it is clear that structural and systemic racism, racialized health inequities, and implicit bias not only play a role but also signify areas within our society that desperately need improvement. In this episode, we hear from three healthcare innovators who personally and professionally—as Black women and advisors to the Black Mamas Matter Alliance—work tirelessly to advance policy grounded in human rights and reproductive justice to improve Black maternal health and lives. Tune in to hear Jennie Joseph, LM, CPM, RM, Founder and Executive Director of Commonsense Childbirth and Founder of the National Perinatal Task Force; Joia Crear-Perry, MD, Founder and President of the National Birth Equity Collaborative; and Monica McLemore, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN, Tenured Associate Professor at the University of California, San Francisco and member of the Bixby Center of Global Reproductive Health, share their wisdom, outrage, approach, and perspectives on the causes and solutions to Black maternal health disparities in the United States. For additional resources, visit our website at www.seeyounowpodcast.com Contact us at hello@seeyounowpodcast.com -----> This episode originally aired on Nov 13, 2020 on See You Now. Listen, follow and subscribe here. The Health Equity Podcast Channel is made possible with support from Bayer G4A. Learn more about how Bayer G4A is advancing equity, access and sustainability at G4a.health

April 11-17th was Black Maternal Health Week. During this week emphasis is placed on brining awareness to the black maternal and infant health crisis in the United States. Founded by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, this initiative was implemented to improve health outcomes for black women and their babies. In honor of Black Maternal Health Week, this episode will explore the reasons for the health care disparities amongst black women and black infants, what you can do to advocate for your own health during pregnancy, what qualities you should look for when selecting a health care provider, the difference between OB/GYNs and Midwives, and learn more about doula services. There is so much to discover in this episode!  Show Mentions Black Mamas Matter Alliance: Website Clarissa Edmondson: Website, Instagram Pickles and Ice Cream: Website Georgia Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies: Website Broward County Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies: Website  Wolomi App: Instagram  Poppy Seed Health: Website The Eavesdrop Podcast: Instagram; Website

Content Warning: We discuss child abuse allegations and briefly mention suicide (22:50-23:05) in this episode, listener discretion is advised.    In this episode we discuss how systems meant to protect children are traumatizing black families. We cover Syesha Mercado's story, a black mother whose child was taken from her after trying to receive help with transitioning him from breastfeeding.   And we highlight the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, an organization working to address the Black maternal health inequalities by changing policy, cultivating research, shifting culture, and advancing care for Black mamas.   Visit the Black Mamas Matter website, https://blackmamasmatter.org/, to learn more about their advocacy efforts and to support their amazing work.   If you would like to suggest a topic we should discuss, share your own personal story, or shoutout an organization or individual please email us at distrustanddisparities@gmail.com.   Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @distrustanddisparities and Twitter @DistrustPod.   Resources: Syesha Mercado regains custody of her son after seven-month battle by Jay Handelman https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/2021/10/06/syesha-mercado-regains-custody-her-son/6018529001/   Bad medicine: Critics say powerful pediatrician too quick to diagnose child abuse, traumatizing families by Daphne Chen https://stories.usatodaynetwork.com/torn-apart/sally-smith/site/heraldtribune.com/   THEY TOOK OUR BABY AGAIN Instagram Video by Syesha https://www.instagram.com/p/CSb5gyOHA16/   Audio Clip:  American Idol's Syesha Mercado Talks Regaining Custody of Newborn Daughter by BNC News https://youtu.be/F0fpDbFJ270

***Warning if you are experiencing/experienced Maternal Health Challenges, please take care of yourself (mentally, physically and/or spiritually). Decide if you are in the best space to hear the testimonies/experiences of others.*** In support and awareness of Black Maternal Health Week, Dr. Bertrand interview Dr. Porcher and co-host Dr. Windom about Black Maternal Health. More specifically, Dr. Porcher's shares her story of giving birth to her son. Furthermore, Dr. Windom serves as an expert on the experiences of Black Mothers in the health care system. Dr. Windom was born and raised in New Haven CT. Her mother was a pharmacist and her father was a pediatrician. Dr. Watson always knew that she wanted to be a doctor. She always wanted to take care of children and families. Dr. Windom went to Spelman College for undergrad which was the best decision of her young adult life. She went to Tufts university for medical school, also where her father went, and received her MD and Masters in Public health. Dr. Windom then completed pediatric residency and pediatric cardiology fellowship at Duke University and she is now an outpatient pediatric cardiologist with an interest in fetal imaging and improving healthcare systems. She leads diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts within her heart center focusing on the effects of implicit bias on healthcare delivery striving to improve patient safety. If you would like more information about Black Maternal Health, Dr. Windom recommends visiting Black Mamas Matter Alliance: https://blackmamasmatter.org/ for resources and support. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/black-gaze/support

This episode is about racial disparities in ob/gyn and its release coincides with Black maternal health week. Founded and led by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, BMHW is a week of awareness, activism, and community building intended to deepen the national conversation about Black maternal health in the US. To be honest I'm actually a bit tired of talking about disparities. The problems and root causes are well documented yet things are getting worse. People don't want to talk about racism or are actively trying to suppress efforts to talk about race. But not talking about it doesn't make the underlying issues go away. Helping address this problem starts with LISTENING. So especially if you are not Black, take a moment and listen (I explain why I say this in the episode). I hope that by the end you have some empathy and the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. Also - if you are a Black woman, it's ok to skip this episode. I understand that it can be traumatizing to repeatedly hear about these disparities. In this Episode, You'll Learn About: -What does disparity mean -What are the statistics on racial disparities in healthcare -What are the causes of these disparities -How racism affects care and outcomes -What does the term weathering refer to -How I have been personally treated differently on the basis of race -Why it matters if you speak up about race in your own community -How you can help (donate to the groups linked below!) Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode157 Check out The Birth Preparation Course Register for the class How to Create a Birth Plan the Right Way Take a quick, fun labor pain quiz

In today's episode, we're kicking off our new life and creativity series by discussing fertility, motherhood, and birthing new ideas. Understanding reproductive health and fertility can be a complicated topic, and in this conversation, we're talking about family planning options for those who are considering having biological children.Our guest is Dr. Tiffanny Jones, OBGYN and reproductive endocrinologist at Conceive Fertility Center in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Tiffanny Jones became a reproductive endocrinologist because she felt connected to the impact she could have on the lives of patients looking to start or grow their families. She earned her medical degree from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at LAC+USC Medical Center in Los Angeles, and completed a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.In this episode, we discuss the unique considerations Black birthing persons may want to keep in mind when trying to conceive.We Also Talk About…What the egg-freezing process entails, and the ideal age to begin the process.How treatments such as IVF can help those experiencing certain fertility challenges.How conditions such as PCOS and endometriosis can impact fertility.Tests patients can ask for to learn more about their fertility status.How the occurrence of fibroids impacts Black people more than other communities.Resources:Learn more about Dr. Tiffanny's practice at Conceive Fertility CenterFollow Dr. Tiffanny Jones on Instagram @tjonesivfmdLearn more about Black Maternal Health Week by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance.Episode 11: Reframing Fertility with Bri BraggsSponsors:The Jordan Harbinger Show | Add The Jordan Harbinger Show to your podcast line-up for thought-provoking interviews and insights from some of the greatest minds of our time. Subscribe to The Jordan Harbinger Show here.Frame of Mind Podcast | Learn how art and well-being intersect by listening to the Frame of Mind Podcast by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Subscribe to Frame of Mind here.balancedblackgirl.com ◉ IG: @balancedblackgirlpodcast @balancedles 〆Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/balanced-black-girl/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacySupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/balanced-black-girl/donationsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Ep. 59 | Advocacy Groups: Highlighting Important Organizations   There are so many charitable organizations out there, it can be hard to know which ones to turn to in times of need, or in times of abundance when you are looking to share your generosity. On today's episode, Eloise highlights 12 non-profit organizations that are changing lives in the infertility, reproductive health, and trying-to-conceive community. From large-scale national organizations to more localized support groups and specialized advocacy groups, Eloise has firsthand knowledge and experience working with founders, members, beneficiaries, and other participants of each highlighted organization.   Learn about the important work being done by: Fertility Within Reach, a national advocacy and education organization dedicated to making fertility treatments and care more accessible and affordable The Tinina Q. Cade Foundation, a nonprofit that has helped more than 120 families with financial assistance for IVF, fertility care, adoption, and surrogacy expenses Support and advocacy groups specifically for Black woman and women of color facing infertility and/or reproductive health challenges. Highlighted organizations include the Broken Brown Egg, Endo Black, and Fertility for Colored Girls Groups like the Black Women's Health Imperative and Black Mamas Matter Alliance who are leading the charge for equity in reproductive healthcare and effecting change at a legislative level Organizations for the LGBTQ+ community such as Family Equality Condition-specific support groups for women who suffer from uterine fibroids, PCOS, and endometriosis Organizations such as Sisters in Loss and Daughters of Hannah that help women, particularly women of color, cope with and heal from pregnancy and infant loss Resources Links to the organizations highlighted on todays episode: Fertility Within Reach: https://www.fertilitywithinreach.org/ Tinina Q. Cade Foundation: https://cadefoundation.org/ EM*Power Donation: https://empowerdonation.com The Broken Brown Egg: https://thebrokenbrownegg.org/ The White Dress Project: https://www.thewhitedressproject.org/ PCOS Challenge: https://www.pcoschallenge.org/ Endo Black: https://www.endoblack.org/ Black Women's Health Initiative: https://bwhi.org/ Fertility for Colored Girls: https://www.fertilityforcoloredgirls.org/ Black Mamas Matter Alliance: https://blackmamasmatter.org/ Family Equality: https://www.familyequality.org Sisters in Loss Foundation: https://sistersinloss.com/ Our Miracle Child: https://ourmiraclechild.com/ Daughters of Hannah: https://www.facebook.com/daughtersofhannah/   Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions   Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be honored if you took the time to rate and review our podcast! And of course, don't forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!    

On today's podcast, we're going to talk with Ihotu Ali, MPH, who is writing about research on the effects of racism on pregnancy and birth outcomes. Ihotu (“love” in the Idoma language) (she/her) is a prenatal and Maya Abdominal massage therapist with a Master's in Public Health, and a doctoral student in Chiropractic Medicine. Ihotu is the granddaughter of a traditional Nigerian Chief, of Polish-Irish farmers, is a graduate of Columbia University. Ihoutu also conducted maternal health research with the United Nations before becoming a doula in 2011. Fascinated by the connections between western and traditional medicine, Ihotu spent a decade studying Afro-Indigenous and global cultural practices for childbirth, ancestral, and womb healing, which she is now alongside medical training in chiropractic care and the neuroscience of spirituality and meditation. Ihotu is the co-founder of the Minnesota Healing Justice Network, featured in Rolling Stone Magazine for their focus on rest for residents and healers through the 2020 Uprising. In response to burnout among healers, Ihotu formed the Oshun Center for Intercultural Healing - an interracial collective offering support to apprentices, as well as public courses on decolonizing and democratizing medicine and small business. Ihotu teaches on cultural birth and bodywork, appropriation, racism in health care, allyship, and economic justice tools like the sliding scale fee. In this podcast episode, we talk about Ihotu's shift towards researching the effects of racism on pregnancy and birth outcomes.  We also talk about how Ihotu practices self-care as a researcher of heavy topics, and the scope of our upcoming EBB Signature Article which will cover the history of racism and the evidence on racism's effects on preterm births, low birth weight, and perinatal mortality.  Content Warning: We mention racism, preterm birth, police violence, COVID-19, maternal-infant death, and other adverse health outcomes. RESOURCES: Learn more about Ihotu Ali here and The Oshun Center here. Learn more about the Minnesota Healing Justice Network here. Follow the Minnesota Healing Justice Network on Facebook and Instagram. Listen to EBB 143, “Birthing in a World with Reproductive Justice” here.  Learn more about Ancient Song here. Follow Ancient Song on Instagram and Facebook.  Learn more about Dr. Rachel Hardeman and the Roots Community Birth Center here. Learn more about Dr. Hardeman's research here. Read Dr. Hardeman's Stolen Breaths here.  Learn more about Dr. Sayida Peprah here.  Learn more about Black Mamas Matter Alliance here. Learn more about the Momnibus Act bill here. Learn more about the Medicaid Postpartum Expansion here. Listen to EBB 187 with Dr. McLemore and Dr. Taylor here. Learn more about Jennie Joseph here. Learn more about Commonsense Childbirth here. Learn about “The JJ Way: Community-Based Maternity Center Evaluation Report” here. Listen to EBB 136 here. For more information and news about Evidence Based Birth®, visit www.ebbirth.com. Find us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/EvidenceBasedBirth/), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ebbirth/), and Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.com/ebbirth/). Ready to get involved? Check out our Professional membership (including scholarship options) (https://evidencebasedbirth.com/become-pro-member/). Find an EBB Instructor here (https://evidencebasedbirth.com/find-an-instructor-parents/), and click here (https://evidencebasedbirth.com/childbirth-class/) to learn more about the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class.

Laura Stevenson (new album Laura Stevenson out now) competes to cheer Josh up. During a game of Cribs Notes, Laura takes Josh on an MTV Cribs style tour of her home. She then donates her winnings to Black Mamas Matter Alliance. Plus, pep talks for people who had to sell their cars after Xzibit "improved" them, and people with messy refrigerators. Listen to Laura Stevenson: http://dongiovanni.co/LauraStevenson Black Mamas Matter Alliance: https://blackmamasmatter.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join host, Jax Barker, as she talks to Jordan Budd Executive Director of Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere and co-host of the podcast Gamer Friends, about his passion: EQUITY. Jordan’s Passion Plug is COLAGE (Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere) you can learn how to get involved or support if you’re able here https://www.colage.org/ Jax’s Passion Plug is Black Mamas Matter Alliance : a Black women-led cross-sectoral alliance. They center Black mamas to advocate, drive research, build power, and shift culture for Black maternal health, rights, and justice. Please go to blackmamasmatter.org to get involved & donate if you’re able. Our theme music is Forestview by The Hustle Listen on Amazon Prime / Audible For more info on POP, go to popofpassionpodcast.com

Did you know that this week is Black Maternal Health Week? Black Maternal Health Week was established in 2018 by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance and was created to promote education and advocacy around the experiences of Black Mamas. This year's theme is "Black Mamas Matter: Claiming Our Power, Resilience, & Liberation". In this week's episode, Coach Colette refers back to a live Let's Talk episode from March 2020 with Nana Eyeson-Akiwowo and Anthonia Akitunde about Black motherhood (Let's Talk: Black Motherhood). She considers how Black women are particularly vulnerable to both pregnancy-related deaths and complications of COVID-19. Conversations around maternal mortality largely focus on medical causes of death, while ignoring the root cause of racial disparities in healthcare: systemic racism. Be sure to check out the Black Maternal Health Virtual Conference going on today and tomorrow, April 16th-17th. This week, another innocent Black person was shot by the police: 20 year-old Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. Coach Colette reflects on a Tweet that resonated with her about the ongoing, deadly crisis of police brutality. She encourages you to be mindful of your media consumption during such a difficult time— it is important to step off social media if it is compromising your wellbeing, and be sure not to deny your feelings. How do you practice self-care? Meditation, yoga, EFT-tapping, breathwork? Now, especially, Coach Colette advises you to nourish and take care of yourself. Consider donating to Daunte Wright's memorial fund here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/dauntewright. If you enjoyed this episode, why not share it on Instagram and follow @coach_colette. Give us a shout-out on TikTok and follow @coach_colette. Tweet your thoughts and follow @Coach_Colette. If you'd like to ask a question or make a topic suggestion, send us a message here. While you’re at it, we’d appreciate a review on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen. Tell your friends about the show, and thanks for listening! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/coach-colette/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/coach-colette/support

Hey, #shiftshapers, it's that time once again! A fresh, new episode of STS awaits! Tune in to Episode 40: Full Power featuring our guest, the amazing Dr. Sayida Peprah. @drsayida is both a licensed clinical psychologist and birth doula. She specializes in multicultural psychology, trauma, suicide prevention, and maternal mental health. An advocate for human rights in childbirth, Dr. Sayida is a member of the Black Women Birthing Justice Collective and a Collaborator with the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, promoting research, education, and community-based services to positively transform the birthing experiences of black families. Dr. Sayida is the Founder and Executive Director of the non-profit organization Diversity Uplifts, Inc. ⁣Make time today to tap into your power on Soundcloud, Google Play, Apple Podcast, I Heart Radio, Spotify, and Shapingtheshift.com!⁣⁣ Visit www.theamonyee.com for more details, show notes, exclusives, and ways to support Shaping the Shift.⁣⁣⁣

It's Black Maternal Health Week and we are joined by J'Mag Karbeah, a PhD student in the School of Public Health in the Division of Health Policy Management's Health Services Research, Policy and Administration program at the University of Minnesota. Black Maternal Health Week was founded and is led by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance to "amplify the voices of Black mamas and center the values and traditions of the reproductive and birth justice movements." J'Mag speaks to the reproductive justice framework that she uses to approach her research, and shares her intersectional approach to understanding Black Maternal health and healthcare as a whole.

On this week’s episode: Dan, Jamilah, and Elizabeth argue whether or not a toddler is obligated to join a sticker ponzi scheme if the invitation came from his cousin. Then, Jamilah talks to Rose Aka-James, National Membership Director of Black Mamas Matter Alliance, about the work being done to address the systemic racial disparities when it comes to Black maternal health. Check out BMMA’s Black Maternal Health Week Virtual Conference.  In Slate Plus: We’re pitching modern issues that just simply need to be explained via Schoolhouse Rock song. Sign up for Slate Plus.  Recommendations: Elizabeth recommends Plasticus Maritimus: An Invasive Species by Ana Pêgo.  Jamilah recommends Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking by Samin Nosrat.  Dan recommends Cookie Chronicles by Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr.  Join us on Facebook and email us at momanddad@slate.com to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes.    Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode: Dan, Jamilah, and Elizabeth argue whether or not a toddler is obligated to join a sticker ponzi scheme if the invitation came from his cousin. Then, Jamilah talks to Rose Aka-James, National Membership Director of Black Mamas Matter Alliance, about the work being done to address the systemic racial disparities when it comes to Black maternal health. Check out BMMA’s Black Maternal Health Week Virtual Conference.  In Slate Plus: We’re pitching modern issues that just simply need to be explained via Schoolhouse Rock song. Sign up for Slate Plus.  Recommendations: Elizabeth recommends Plasticus Maritimus: An Invasive Species by Ana Pêgo.  Jamilah recommends Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking by Samin Nosrat.  Dan recommends Cookie Chronicles by Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr.  Join us on Facebook and email us at momanddad@slate.com to ask us new questions, tell us what you thought of today’s show, and give us ideas about what we should talk about in future episodes.    Podcast produced by Rosemary Belson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To celebrate the 4th annual Black Maternal Health Week (thanks to the Black Mamas Matter Alliance) it's about time we talk to an expert in the OB/GYN field directly. We have talked about the disparity in black maternal health care in the US so this week we are sitting down with Karen Ashby, MD to discuss what she has seen over her years of practice and how to be an advocate for change in the community. Weekly Faith in Humanity Restored www.firstyearcleveland.org Instagram: @DonnaJaneen @RealRelatablePodcast

This conversation amongst friends is a peek into the deep complexities of keeping Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and other marginalized folks safe while they activate and organize for liberation. Black Movement Law Project is about the intentional and deliberate work of first protecting (physically and legally) the people in movement spaces. At the same time, the work of BMLP is supporting local communities to develop sustainable infrastructure so that the people within movement spaces are empowered and cared for. BMLP’s origins thread back to Ferguson and with nash, even further back into the Occupy Movement.  Their work has been fundamental across the country as people protest police brutality and the terrorizing of Black and other mariginalized people by police. What surfaces in this conversation is the strategy and forward-thinking necessary to liberate marginalized folks when working within systems that are designed to subjugate them. Every move must be carefully turned over, anticipating the fall-out way down the road. Historically, as Abi asserts, the very institutions that cause the crises usually come out twice as strong in the end. Thus, with loud calls for accountability for the crimes of the white supremacist insurrectionists, movement people must be mindful of the unintended consequences. During this conversation, for example, Tanay, Nicole, Abi, nash, and Marques carefully turn over how policies regulating hate speech can eventually be used to clamp down on marginalized people trying to organize around systems of oppression. It was fascinating to listen to this “think tank” do its thinking. and see their understanding of the current state of anti-oppression work evolve. Their strategizing and BMLP operations are rooted in their lived experiences as People of Color on the ground during uprisings and their desire to support movement spaces from a place of relationship. No one gets thrown away. As nash says, “Liberation is collective or it’s non-existent.”   In this episode, we talked about: The origin story of the Black Movement Law Project, with its intention to create a proactive space for Black leadership in jail and legal support for the Black Lives Matter activists The priority and focus of  BMLP: to help build up the capacities and infrastructure in local Black-led communities to make movement work sustainable The work now in movement work: to create opportunities for entry The glaring differences in policing white supremacists v. Black activists fighting for their lives and Constitutional rights Monitoring hate speech on social media platforms The level of organization amongst white supremacists during the insurrection and the likelihood of support from the inside How white supremacist mobs in DC highlight Washingtonian’s need for statehood, a community that is mostly Black and without representation in the federal government The very complex difficulties in demanding accountability for the traitors while not putting Black and other marginalized folks at greater risk long term. The systems of accountability are built to oppress marginalized people. The way discernment and intuition guides each of their decision making in dangerous, critical moments What it means to live an inclusive life   Bio:   Tanay Lynn Harris Tanay Lynn Harris is the Founder and Principal Strategist of Tenacity Consulting. As a facilitator, organizer, and abolitionist, she advises and supports organizations to achieve equitable and transformative change through learning journeys and critical social consciousness. She is committed to holistic approaches to cultivating change-makers and ushering in liberation and transformation through the building and cultivation of relationships and reimagining a world anew. Tanay worked for the Center for African American Research and Public Policy at Temple University as a co-coordinator and was an educator in Philadelphia. Her time as a grassroots organizer in Philadelphia learning from leading activists, scholars, and building in the community, she learned more deeply Tanay has worked on some of the nation's leading high-profiled legal cases and pressing issues of our time. She is a former national organizer at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc (LDF) in New York City. Tanay worked with leaders and community members in various cities across the country to help build capacity and momentum, based on their collective needs and wants. She worked on several Supreme Court cases and was a member of the legal team for Mumia Abu-Jamal. Her work at LDF was at the intersection of death penalty abolition, criminal justice, juvenile justice, educational equity, and voter suppression. After her time at LDF, she worked with global ecumenical faith leaders around social justice and human rights issues through a liberation theology lens. Tanay leveraged legal support in Ferguson and Baltimore during the Uprising, to protect the rights of protestors and the community through holistic legal and technical support. She works with Black Movement Law Project where she continues to support as a community coordinator. Building the power of and with impacted people and communities is critical to creating meaningful and lasting change. Additionally, Tanay is dedicated to maternal and birthing persons' health and reproductive justice as a birth worker, researcher, and care worker. She is a Kindred Partner with the Black Mamas Matter Alliance and a member of the Maryland Maternal Health Taskforce. She is on the Advisory Board of CLLCTIVLY in Baltimore, which provides an ecosystem of support for Black-led businesses and organizations. Tanay is a graduate of Africana Studies/African American studies at Temple University and the Center for Social Impact Strategies from the University of Pennsylvania.   Nathan “nash” Sheard Nathan "nash" Sheard is a cofounder and legal organizer with Black Movement Law Project (BMLP). nash's work is informed by lived experience with aggressive and militarized policing, including racial profiling, the effects of biased broken windows policing tactics, and police brutality.  nash has worked extensively to help mitigate the damage of harmful interactions with law enforcement online and in over-policed communities. In addition to organizing with BMLP, nash is a founding member of the Mutant Legal activist collective and Associate Director of Community Organizing at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).  nash has spent close to a decade training communities in crisis on how to document police conduct, exercise their legal rights, counteract state repression, and actively participate in their own legal defense.   Marques Banks Marques Banks Works as a Justice Project Staff Attorney at the National Office of Advancement Project, a next generation, multi-racial civil rights organization. Prior to joining, Advancement Project in 2020, Marques worked at the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs as an Equal Justice Works Fellow sponsored by Covington & Burling, LLP.  During his fellowship, Marques challenged the criminalization of poverty, through direct representation and policy advocacy for individuals subject to overly onerous fines, fees and jail time for minor offenses. After his fellowship ended, Marques continued to work at the Washington Lawyers’ Committee challenging policing practices in the D.C. area. During law school, Marques interned at NAACP Legal Defense Fund. He worked as a research assistant for Professor Justin Hansford, Saint Louis University School of Law. He also participated in Columbus Community Legal Services’ Advocacy for the Elderly Clinic, representing individuals denied social security benefits. Marques helped create Black Movement-Law Project, an organization providing legal support to the activists and organizations of the Movement for Black Lives. He provided legal support in Ferguson, MO, Baltimore, MD, and other cities across the U.S. During the 2015 uprising in Baltimore, Marques trained hundreds of legal observers. Marques is a graduate of The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law. He is a member of Law 4 Black Lives DC and Black Lives Matter DC.   Abi Hassen Abi Hassen is a political philosophy student, attorney, technologist, and co-founder of Black Movement Law Project, a legal support rapid response group that grew out of the uprisings in Ferguson, Baltimore and elsewhere.  Abi is currently a partner at O’Neill and Hassen LLP, a law practice focused on indigent criminal defense.  Prior to this current work, Abi was the Mass Defense Coordinator at the National Lawyers Guild. He has also worked as a political campaign manager and strategist, union organizer, and community organizer.  Abi is particularly interested in exploring the dynamic nature of institutions, political movements, and their interactions from the perspective of Complex Systems studies.   Resources: Bios for Tanay, nash, Marques and Abi Mumia Abul Jamal is an internationally celebrated black writer and radio journalist, a former member of the Black Panther Party who has spent the last 30 years in prison, almost all of it in solitary confinement on Pennsylvania’s Death Row. Dr. Ashon Crawley is a teacher, writer, and artist who engages a wide range of critical paradigms to theorize the ways in which “otherwise” modes of existence can serve as disruptions against the marginalization of and violence against minoritarian lifeworlds and as possibilities for flourishing. Section 230: “The most important law protecting internet speech.” Kettling: is a controversial police tactic for controlling large crowds during demonstrations or protests where police officers form large cordons which move to corral a crowd within a smaller, contained area. This tactic has resulted in the detention of  bystanders as well as protesters. — Thank you so much for joining us! Our conversation continues on Facebook in our Inclusive Life Community. You can also follow us on Instagram and learn more at www.inclusivelife.co. Please click here to leave a review for The Inclusive Life Podcast. Subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified when a new episode comes out! Instagram @inclusivelife Facebook @inclusivelife Facebook Group @Inclusive Life Website www.inclusivelife.co Subscribe to The Inclusive Life Podcast Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts

The CDC reports that Black mothers die at three to four times the rate of white mothers and that the mortality rate of Black infants is higher than that of any other ethnic group in the U.S. Regardless of income and education level, childbirth for Black women is more dangerous than it is for white women. Even tennis legend Serena Williams had a dangerously close call during her pregnancy. In examining why these disparities are so stark, it is clear that structural and systemic racism, racialized health inequities, and implicit bias not only play a role but also signify areas within our society that desperately need improvement. In this episode, we hear from three healthcare innovators who personally and professionally—as Black women and advisors to the Black Mamas Matter Alliance—work tirelessly to advance policy grounded in human rights and reproductive justice to improve Black maternal health and lives. Tune in to hear Jennie Joseph, LM, CPM, RM, Founder and Executive Director of Commonsense Childbirth and Founder of the National Perinatal Task Force; Joia Crear-Perry, MD, Founder and President of the National Birth Equity Collaborative; and Monica McLemore, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN, Tenured Associate Professor at the University of California, San Francisco and member of the Bixby Center of Global Reproductive Health, share their wisdom, outrage, approach, and perspectives on the causes and solutions to Black maternal health disparities in the United States. For additional resources, visit our website at www.seeyounowpodcast.com Contact us at hello@seeyounowpodcast.com

In this episode we talk to Dr. Sayida Pepra. She discusses  how studies have identified implicit bias and lack of culturally appropriate care as a contributor to maternal health disparities as well as share how to  construct support strategies and interventions for pregnant, birthing and postpartum individuals with a history of transgenerational trauma.  We also spend quite a bit of time sharing about how you can identify and assess personal implicit biases.  Resources: Sayida's Website: www.DrSayidaPeprah.com (http://sayidapeprah.synthasite.com)   Diversity Uplifts Website: www.DiversityUplifts.org (https://diversityuplifts.yolasite.com)   Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrSayida   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drsayida/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drsayida.uplifts.3 Dr. Sayida Peprah is a licensed clinical psychologist and birth doula, with over 10 years of experience in both fields. She specializes in multicultural psychology, trauma, suicide prevention and maternal mental health. Dr. Sayida has a multi-faced career as a psychologist, diversity and cross-cultural educator, and community-based doula program director. Dr. Sayida is also the Founder and Executive Director of the non-profit organization Diversity Uplifts, Inc., who's mission is “fostering diversity and supporting communities and the providers who serve them.”  An advocate for human rights in childbirth, Dr. Sayida is a member of the Black Women Birthing Justice Collective and a Collaborator with the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, promoting research, education and community-based services to positively transform the birthing experiences of black families. Dr. Sayida has served and continues to serve on advisory committees to improve maternal health including Perinatal Equity Initiative Committees, and formerly the California Maternal Suicide Review Committee and others aimed at identifying key risks and opportunities for quality improvement and prevention around disparities. 

Christy, Chief Parent Officer at Colugo, is joined by Miriam Williams and Tara Elwell Henning, co-founders of Superkin, to talk about the transition into parenthood and how to maintain and reclaim your identity during this time of big changes and big emotions. Mentioned in this episode: Hitha Palepu’s Five Smart Reads, Dead to Me, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, and Superkin’s *Add to Resume Campaign to raise $10,000 for Black Mamas Matter Alliance. Today We Tried is brought to you by Colugo, a baby-gear start-up for a new generation of parents.  Learn more about our story here.  Follow Colugo on Instagram at @hicolugo and Christy at @christy_and_co.

In February, Naomi Jackson entered Mount Sinai Hospital to give birth to her son. But when the baby finally came, at her side were only her doula and her sister; the ob-gyn hadn't believed Jackson when, twenty minutes earlier, she had assured the doctor that the baby was coming soon. This was not the first time that Jackson's wishes and intuitions had been ignored during her pregnancy, or even during her labor. Only hours earlier, a nurse had upped her dosage of Pitocin shortly after Jackson had asked her to stop. But Jackson is not alone in experiencing such dismissiveness. Such treatment is typical of the care black mothers receive. They experience maternal complications and adverse outcomes at a shockingly high rate. Black babies today are substantially more likely to suffer infant mortality than white babies; the rate surpasses that recorded during slavery. And the dearth of black female medical professionals means that black women struggle to secure culturally responsive care, with its accompanying better outcomes. Black mothers—Jackson included—carry this heavy burden with them into labor. In this episode of the podcast, Naomi Jackson—an assistant professor of English at Rutgers University–Newark and the author of The Star Side of Bird Hill—reflects on her narrative essay in Harper's Magazine's September issue, “A Litany for Survival.” Jackson and host Violet Lucca discuss her reasons for sharing her birth story, the all too often dire experiences that black women have in the birthing room, and the multifarious sociocultural factors that prevent black women from receiving proper care even as awareness of these experiences grows. Resources for black mothers that were mentioned in the episode or are recommended by Jackson: Bronx Rebirth & Progress Collective - https://www.bxrebirth.org/ Black Mamas Matter Alliance - https://blackmamasmatter.org/ National Black Midwives Alliance - https://blackmidwivesalliance.org/ Jamaa Birth Village - https://jamaabirthvillage.org/ Ancient Song Doula Services - https://www.ancientsongdoulaservices.com/ Dr. Sara Whetstone, University of California, San Francisco - https://meded.ucsf.edu/people/sara-whetstone Dr. Deirdre Cooper-Owens, University of Lincoln, Nebraska & author of Medical Bondage: Race, Gender, and The Origins of American Gynecology - https://history.unl.edu/deirdre-cooper-owens Nubia Martin, midwife & founder of Birth from the Earth - https://birthfromtheearth.vpweb.com/ Nicole Jean-Baptiste, Sese Doula Services - https://www.sesedoulaservices.com/ Linda Villarosa, journalist & contributing writer to New York Times magazine https://www.lindavillarosa.com/ Dr. Dana-Ain Davis, CUNY Graduate Center and author of Reproductive Justice: Racism, Pregnancy & Premature Birth - http://qcurban.org/faculty/dana-ain-davis/ Dr. Pooja K. Mehta, Women's Health Lead, CityBlock Health - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pooja-mehta-1b891689/ Dr. Toyin Ajayi, Chief Health Officer & Co-Founder, CityBlock Health - https://www.linkedin.com/in/toyin-ajayi-ba57b078/ Chanel Porchia-Albert, founder of Ancient Song - https://www.chanelporchianyc.com/about-me Malaika Maitland, doula, artist & yoga teacher in Grenada - http://malaikamaitland.com/birth Andrea Jordan, midwife, cofounder of Better Birthing in Bim and The Breastfeeding and Child Nutrition Foundation - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-jordan-4832b3127/ Dani McClain, journalist and author of We Live for the: The Political Power of Black Motherhood - https://danimcclain.com/bio Dr. Lynn Roberts, CUNY School of Public Health - https://sph.cuny.edu/people/lynnroberts/ Dorothy Roberts, University of Pennsylvania, author of Killing the Black Body - https://www.law.upenn.edu/cf/faculty/roberts1/ Efe Osaren, doula & midwifery student, https://www.linkedin.com/in/efe-osaren-959824113/

Bringing a new tiny human into the world is exciting, joyful and more than a little intimidating. For one thing, the amount of stuff you need is just staggering: crib, bassinet, car seat, stroller, carrier, changing table, baby clothes, swaddles, diapers, breast pump, bottles, maternity clothes...the list just goes on and on. Weighing the goal of parenting sustainably against consumption-driven expectations is a challenge, so we wanted to offer some tips and tricks for new parents embarking on this amazing journey with sustainability in mind. We also reached out to our low-waste mama friend Megan (@zero.wasting.away) for her advice and she provided an amazing wealth of insight and knowledge! For every listen on the day this episode drops, we are donating $1 to Black Mamas Matter Alliance (https://blackmamasmatter.org/), an organization dedicated to supporting the health and wellbeing of black mothers before, during and after pregnancy. For show notes, please visit www.howtosavetheworldpodcast.com.

In this episode I'm sharing my conversation with Psychologist Dr. Angel Montfort. Together we explore the impact of racism on mental health, physical health, and relationships. We discuss ways we can begin to talk to our children about race, why raising "color blind" children is not the answer, and navigating difficult conversations about privilege. Dr. Montfort shares the disparities that continue to exist in the peripartum wellness world for people of color. We identify resources and Dr. Montfort shares ways that we can begin to take steps TODAY to address the racial disparities experienced in our communities. You can continue to follow Dr. Angel's work on social media @drangelmontfort and at www.cfmmh.com. Here are some of the resources shared in the episode: Mental health care resources: Therapy for Black Girls @therapyforblackgirls The Loveland Foundation @thelovelandfoundation Black Mamas Matter Alliance @blackmamasmatter The Great Unlearn @thegreatunlearn The Next Question @tnqshow Dr. Jazmine @themompsychologist Dr. Annlouise Lockhart @dr.annlouise.lockhart The Conscious Kid @theconsciouskid Opportunities for advocacy: Until Freedom @untilfreedom Color of Change @colorofchange

Free Therapy has been out for a while due to the recent happenings of the last month and a half. I felt it was not appropriate for me to promote my show during all this. The fight to change our country's long-broken systematically racist fundamentals have not stopped. Please continue to donate to great organizations like @aclu_nationwide @blackvisionscollection @blacklivesmatter @blackmomasmatter, as well as continue to support the ongoing protests, reform bills, etc. and keep the conversations going! With that being said, Free Therapy is back with another excellent guest @Kstout12 Kaitlin Stoutenburgh to talk about how being resilient as a mother fucker can be a mother fucker. We discuss how to maintain resilience even when life's obstacles of anxiety, depression, and much more get thrown your way. As well as navigating all this with probably the coolest kid on planet earth and the challenges of marriage. Very heavy, yet hilarious episode. Thank you again, Kaitlin, for coming on and having the courage to share all you did. Means a lot, and I think this will help more than you know! Finally, please go to @blackmomasmatter and donate, as Kaitlin's employer @arrowbirith and co-founder of Arrow Birth and former Free Therapy guest @tt.rose127 have partnered up with the Black Mamas Matter Alliance to continue to raise money for the cause as well again, please donate to the other organizations mentioned above. Thank you!

Free Therapy has been out for a while due to the recent happenings of the last month and a half. I felt it was not appropriate for me to promote my show during all this. The fight to change our country's long-broken systematically racist fundamentals have not stopped. Please continue to donate to great organizations like @aclu_nationwide @blackvisionscollection @blacklivesmatter @blackmomasmatter, as well as continue to support the ongoing protests, reform bills, etc. and keep the conversations going! With that being said, Free Therapy is back with another excellent guest @Kstout12 Kaitlin Stoutenburgh to talk about how being resilient as a mother fucker can be a mother fucker. We discuss how to maintain resilience even when life's obstacles of anxiety, depression, and much more get thrown your way. As well as navigating all this with probably the coolest kid on planet earth and the challenges of marriage. Hefty, yet hilarious episode. Thank you again, Kaitlin, for coming on and having the courage to share all you did. Means a lot, and I think this will help more than you know! Finally, please go to @blackmomasmatter and donate, as Kaitlin's employer @arrowbirith and co-founder of Arrow Birth and former Free Therapy guest @tt.rose127 have partnered up with the Black Mamas Matter Alliance to continue to raise money for the cause as well again, please donate to the other organizations mentioned above. Thank you!

Dr. Sayida Peprah is both a licensed clinical psychologist and birth doula, with over 10 years of experience in both fields.  She specializes in multicultural psychology, trauma, suicide prevention and maternal mental health.  Dr. Sayida has a multi-faced career as a psychologist, diversity and cross-cultural educator, and community-based doula program director.  Dr. Sayida is also the Founder and Executive Director of the non-profit organization Diversity Uplifts, Inc., who's mission is “fostering diversity and supporting communities and the providers who serve them.”An advocate for human rights in childbirth, Dr. Sayida is a member of the Black Women Birthing Justice Collective and a Collaborator with the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, promoting research, education and community-based services to positively transform the birthing experiences of black families.  Dr. Sayida has served and continues to serve on advisory committees to improve maternal health including Perinatal Equity Initiative Committees, and formerly the California Maternal Suicide Review Committee and others aimed at identifying key risks and opportunities for quality improvement and prevention around disparities.http://sayidapeprah.synthasite.com/https://www.instagram.com/drsayida/

In this episode I talk to blogger and journalist Ayana Lage about social justice, racism, social media and mental health. We talk about virtue signaling and performative allyship vs. true allyship; 3 things we can all do to be a better ally; why so many people seem to be waking up to racism now; the conflicting feelings of experiencing social media’s sudden shift to support the Black community; microaggressions; Ayana’s experience with clinical depression and the mental health system in this country; how to take care of mental health in this heightened time, and so much more.   My earnings from the sponsorship of this episode have gone to the Black Mamas Matter Alliance in honor of Ayana. Black Mamas Matter Alliance is a Black women-led cross-sectoral alliance. They center Black mamas to advocate, drive, research, build power and shift culture for Black maternal health, rights and justice. For more information and to donate, visit blackmamasmatter.org    www.bookofthemonth.com/BLONDE to get your first month's book for just $9.99   Produced by Dear Media

Matt and Gillian fire up the oven to cook the granddaddy of all cozy foods — the casserole. What's even cozier than casserole? Giving. To support those who are using their voice to affect systemic change, Matt and Gillian have made charitable donations to Black Girls Code and the Black Mamas Matter Alliance and encourage those who can to donate, support, and engage with your community and each other.

The Black Mamas Matter Alliance centers on the experiences and leadership of Black mothers through trainings, technical assistance and capacity building. In their own words, BMMA “envisions a world where Black mothers have the rights, respect and resources to thrive before, during and after pregnancy.” blackmamasmatter.org.Black mothers die in childbirth at 3 to 4 times the rate of white mothers. The National Birth Equity Collaborative advocates for birth equity. That means increased data collection that investigates maternal health and mortality, running racial equity training sessions, and combating implicit bias in hospitals. Their website is birthequity.org. The Loveland Foundation's therapy fund gives Black women and girls the financial support to find spaces of healing. Their goal for 2020 is to provide 1,000 women with 4 to 8 therapy sessions. Their website is thelovelandfoundation.org. Since 1866, YW Boston has worked to inspire systematic change in Boston, shifting political, cultural and entrepreneurial policies to reflect gender and racial equity. Their website is ywboston.org.Reclaim the Block is a Minneapolis-based organization that advocates divestment from the Minneapolis police force. Instead, they work to re-distribute funds to services that actively benefit their communities - like education, affordable housing and health services. Their website is reclaimtheblock.org.We Live for the We: The Political Power of Black Motherhood by Dani McClain So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo Black and White: Disrupting Racism One Friendship at a Time by Teesha Hadra & John HambrickWoke Mommy Chatter Podcast      

If you love the Amerikan Therapy Podcast send us a text and join us on the couch. Text us at +1 (202) 800-2355 and let us know what topics you want us to cover. Be ready because we might ask you to be a guest on the show.The Amerikan Therapy did a special YouTube "LIVE" with the powerbrokers of the black maternal health movement. This show we brought in Stacey Stewart the CEO of March of Dimes (MOD) as our guest co-host. Stacey brought the fire and information along with our guest panelist. Get your pen and pad, and make yourself comfortable on our couch for some Amerikan Therapy. Stacey Stewart - CEO of March of Dimes:Stacey D. Stewart, President and CEO, joined March of Dimes as its fifth President on January 1, 2017. In this role, Stewart heads the organization leading the fight for the health of all moms and babies. She is responsible for all aspects of the organization's strategy, vision, and operations. Stewart came to March of Dimes from United Way Worldwide, where she held several positions, most recently serving as U.S. President of United Way, the nation's largest nonprofit organization. There she provided strategic direction for more than 1,000 local United Ways. Stewart was also responsible for United Way's national efforts in education, financial stability, and health as well as guiding efforts to enhance the brand and grow revenue. Stewart spearheaded the transformation of United Way from a pass-through fundraiser to a leading organization for local community impact. Prior to becoming U.S. President, Stewart served as Executive Vice President, Community Impact Leadership and Learning. In this role, Stewart developed global partnerships to advance community impact in more than 40 countries.A business veteran, Stewart has also held a number of senior roles, including Chief Diversity Officer and Senior Vice President for the Office of Community and Charitable Giving at Fannie Mae, as well as President and Chief Executive Officer for the Fannie Mae Foundation. Additionally, Stewart has an extensive background in finance and investment banking, having served as Vice President for Pryor, McClendon, Counts & Co., and as a senior associate for Merrill Lynch, specializing in financings for state and local governments.Stewart has a master's of business administration in finance from the University of Michigan and a bachelor of arts in economics from Georgetown University. She also holds honorary degrees from Trinity University, Morgan State University, Texas Southern University, Lincoln University, and Alabama A&M University. She currently serves on several boards nationally and in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.Stewart is married to Jarvis C. Stewart, the Chairman and Managing Partner of I + R Media, LLC, a strategic communications firm based in Washington, D.C. The Stewarts have two children, Madeleine and Savannah.Angela Doyinsola Aina - Interim CEO of Black Mamas Matter Alliance:Angela Doyinsola Aina, MPH is the Interim Director of the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, where she works to convene Black Maternal Health professionals and community-based organizations to develop training, programs, quality improvement initiatives, research projects, and black feminist advocacy strategies to advance holistic maternity service provision, policy, and systems change in global public health. She has over 14 years of public health experience, working in different capacities on projects focused on: incorporating health equity strategies into reproductive and maternal health initiatives; strengthening strategic planning and community-based workforce development, and data collection. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/AMERIKANTHERAPY)

Venmo: @Joia-CrearPerryJoia Adele Crear-Perry, MD, FACOG – a thought leader around racism as a root cause of health inequities, Speaker, Trainer, Advocate, Policy Expert, and fighter for justice – is the Founder and President of the National Birth Equity Collaborative. Recently, she addressed the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to urge a human rights framework to improve maternal mortality. Previously, she served as the Executive Director of the Birthing Project, Director of Women's and Children's Services at Jefferson Community Healthcare Center and as the Director of Clinical Services for the City of New Orleans Health Department where she was responsible for four facilities that provided health care for the homeless, pediatric, WIC, and gynecologic services within the New Orleans clinical service area. Dr. Crear-Perry has been celebrated for her work to improve the availability and utilization of affordable health care for New Orleans' citizens post the Hurricane Katrina disaster of 2005. Currently, her focus has expanded nationally and internationally as it relates to Maternal and Child Health. Joia, a proud recipient of the Congressional Black Caucus Healthcare Hero's award and the Maternal Health Task Force at Harvard University Global Visionary Award for Commitment to Advancing Women's Health, is most known for her work to remove Race as a risk factor for illness like premature birth and replacing it with Racism. She has been asked to train in Maternal and Child Health and is a sought-after speaker as a result of her articles in a number magazines including Essence, Ms. Magazine, as well as her publications around Structural Racism. Dr. Crear-Perry testified before the House Energy and Commerce Committee as the Democratic witness in support of the only Maternal Health Bill signed into law since the new Administration came into office. Dr. Crear-Perry has received funding from the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to work with the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) to develop a Standard for Respectful Maternity Care and serves on the National Quality Forum Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Committee and the Joint Commission Perinatal Safety Project Technical Advisory Panel. Dr. Crear-Perry currently serves as a Principal at Health Equity Cypher and on the Board of Trustees for Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Community Catalyst, National Clinical Training Center for Family Planning and the UCSF PTBi. After receiving her bachelor's trainings at Princeton University and Xavier University, Dr. Crear-Perry completed her medical degree at Louisiana State University and her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Tulane University's School of Medicine. She was also recognized as a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is married to Dr. Andre Perry and has three children: Jade, Carlos, and Robeson. Her love is her family; health equity is her passion; maternal and child health are her callings. Originally recorded on April 22nd 2020 --- -- DiDi Delgado is creating change (unapologetically). http://linktr.ee/thedididelgado https://thedididelgado.com/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-full-set-podcast/support

The theme of this year's Black Maternal Health Week is, Centering Black Mamas: The Right to Live and Thrive - we feel that Anique and Ali's birth story aligns beautifully. When they found out they were pregnant, Anique and Ali wanted this birth experience to be different. From the birth of their son resulting in an emergency c-section, the length of time it took for them to conceive, and Anique having suffered from postpartum blues, they were holding on to fear that the second time around would be the same. To shift that, they both knew they would need to walk through this with a stronger sense of autonomy.They became intentional about their preparation. Researching birth outcomes for black women, being clear on Anique's health, receiving support from a black care provider, and support from a black doula. That intentionality provided them the tools and confidence to find power in their voices and their family's story.We are genuinely passionate about our storytellers being the complete voice for their stories. One way we carry this through is by asking them to create the titles for their episodes, asking them to reflect on what name is evoked from their experience and how they want the world to recognize it. "Our daughter's name means Bringer of Light. During my second pregnancy, I gained peace with my birthing process. I learned so much information regarding black maternal health, what it means to have a doula, my body, and a wonderful breastfeeding journey thus far! I feel I have a light that I am ready to pass on to other mama's!!" - AniqueWe are grateful for the sponsorship of this episode and other ROOTT activities this week. We would also like to acknowledge the Black Mamas Matter Alliance and all the Kindred Partners and collaborators for dedication to Black Mamas and families.Resources:Black Mamas Matter Alliance |Black women-led cross-sectoral alliance. Centering Black mamas to advocate, drive research, build power, and shift culture for Black maternal health, rights, and justice.Too Good Eats | gourmet frozen popsSponsors:ROOTT | Restoring Our Own Through Transformation (ROOTT) black women-led reproductive justice organization dedicated to collectively restoring our well-being through self-determination, collaboration, and resources to meet the needs of women and families within communities.

On this episode of We Regret the Error, I sat down with documentary filmmaker Dominique Remy to talk about reproductive justice, radical feminism, and her exciting project "Canary" which seeks to investigate why motherhood in the U.S. serves as the metaphorical canary in the societal coal mine.---------------------------------To talk to Dominique, you can find her here:Twitter: https://twitter.com/canaryfilmmakerFilm Twitter: https://twitter.com/canary_filmProject GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/maternal-mortality-documentary-film-fund---------------------------------For more information about Black Mamas Matter Alliance, you can visit them here:https://blackmamasmatter.org/---------------------------------Intro: Sisyphus - Andrew Bird

In this episode, your favorite momfriends continue the conversation on Black History Month by discussing black doulas. Often times, the idea of using a doula throughout a pregnancy, labor, and delivery seems more like a "luxury" rather than a necessity. And within the black community, many families may not even consider using a doula because they do not know the significance of the role of a doula or the services they provide. For this reason, Real Moms Too interviewed Jessica Roach, co-founder and the CEO of Restoring Our Own Through Transformation (ROOTT). In episode 41, Jessica explains the history of black doulas, how to involve the whole family in the labor and delivery process, and teaches moms how to advocate for themselves throughout the pre and postnatal process. Jessica reminds listeners that black doulas have been around for centuries and discusses the benefits of utilizing a doula service such as ROOTT.More About our Guest:Jessica M. Roach, LPN, MPH is the co-founder and CEO of Restoring Our Own Through Transformation, (ROOTT) a Non-Profit, Black Women led Reproductive Justice Organization focused on Maternal Child Health and Birthing Justice Columbus, Ohio. Her work has spanned over 20 years in areas such as clinical nursing, public health advocacy, and independent scholarship. Ms. Roach has a deeply experiential perspective in her research both personally and professionally, regarding the effects of stress related to structural determinants, and the social determinants created as consequence of those structures, with a focus on inter-generational and historical trauma as it relates to policy development. Ms. Roach currently serves as the co-lead of the care working group for the Black Mamas Matter Alliance and has been featured in Rewire, The Atlantic, Columbus Underground, and Columbus Alive. She has served as a full-spectrum doula, home birth midwife and assistant, consultant to various organizations and is the mother of three young women, one of which was a pre-term infant. ROOTT Website:https://www.roottrj.org/Join the ConversationRMT Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RealMomsToo/RMT Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/realmomstoo/

Join us for an engaging conversation with Lou-Ann Wattley Belk, creative Mama and founder of Well Worth Watering, a newly birthed blog and online community that channels the pregnancy, birth and mothering stories of black women in order to nourish and empower black birthing people.  As we work to dismantle the roots of the deep injustice that exist for black women’s maternal health, we can't ignore the narrative. We have to uplift as many stories of success as we do stories of sorrow. Lou-Ann's goal is to fearlessly hold space for both. Well Worth Watering serves as a call to elevate the voices of black mother’s unique stories—stories that might otherwise wither on the landscape of the maternal health crisis. It has also become a mantra for Lou-Ann to unapologetically use her voice, creativity and writing for something greater than herself. Committed to learning and growing in her roles as a mother of 2, wife, brand design consultant and creative writer, Lou-Ann now calls Northern Virginia home. We delved into:  - Challenging our ideas / notions of black motherhood, birthing experiences… honoring the many narratives. - How anti-blackness impacts black mothers and children.  - Ways we can all support black mothers - from listening to our lived experiences to donating to organizations like Black Mamas Matter Alliance .   - Lifting up self-care along our motherhood journeys.  Resources and Ways to Support  - Submit your birthing / motherhood story to Well Worth Watering  Why Black Mothers and Babies are in a Life-or-Death Crisis, The New York Times  Black Mamas Matter Alliance  Black Mothers Keep Dying after Giving Birth. Shalon Irving's Story Explains Why (NPR)  Sisters in Loss podcast Spotlights faith filled black women who share their grief and loss stories and testimonies. Black women experience miscarriage and stillbirth four times more than white women according to the NIH and CDC. The case of Lashonda Harris Kira Johnson's Case (Judge Hatchett's  Daughter-in-law) Stay Connected with Well Worth Watering: https://www.wellworthwatering.com IG: @wellworthwatering  -  Stay Connected with Pray with our Feet: IG: @praywithourfeet  Twitter: @praywithourfeet  This podcast is generously edited by my hubby, Kes, a talented videographer / photographer / editor at www.keston.online. 

In this episode, Parenting for Liberation spoke with Melissa Franklin and Brandi Sims of First 5 LA, a public agency focused on the safe and healthy development of young children. They both joined to talk about a current epidemic of Black mothers who are largely exposed to racial bias from health care professionals during childbirth. The episode delves deeper into issues of Black maternal and infant health, with each of the Black women sharing their own personal experience with maternal health ranging from miscarriage to preterm birth and how our own traumatic experience fueled our collective passions to make a change in society related to issues of maternal health. Key topics in this episode include: How racial disparities are directly correlated to maternal mortality rates as the CDC reports that black women are 3.3 times were likely than white women to suffer a pregnancy-related death. How common notions regarding factors such as age, income, and education being related to Black mothers experiencing birthing challenges are false. How the attitudes and behaviors of health care professionals towards Black mothers largely impact the lives of both Black mothers and their babies. How organizations such as National Birth Equity Collaborative, and the group Black Mamas Matter Alliance are educating the public to tackle racial disparities and institutional racism in the public health aspect. The impact California State Senator Holly Mitchell has made pertaining to Black maternal health. How racial disparities in maternal deaths is impacting the country on a national scale with involvement from the California Department of Public, politicians and lawmakers across the nations. Ways in which California's governor, Newsom is implementing change for a successful and healthy life for Black babies, mothers, and families overall. Various forms of solutions such as Doulas to address racial disparities in maternal health and newborn health as well as programs such as Home Visitation and how it can benefit Black mothers and families.

Let’s get real about black maternal health in the US. How do we have the highest maternity mortality rates in the developed world? Affluence has no bearing on the statistics!  Support Dem Black Mamas podcast for even more depth discussions from experts in the doula, lactation, and mental health industries. You’ll also be sure to get some good laughs along the way! Instragram & Facebook: @DemBlackMamas  Make a difference by donating to Black Mamas Matter Alliance www.BlackMamasMatter.org to support Black Maternal Health. Let’s not forget about the Bahamas. Just because the media moves on doesn’t mean we should! www.NABMiami.org/donate Instagram: @DonnaJaneen @RealRelatablePodcast Facebook Page: Donna Janeen Questions/Comments: RealRelatablePodcast@gmail.com

In this episode I am joined by Aza Nedhari, co-founder and executive director of Mamatoto Village, a non-profit training and deploying community health workers to support women through pregnancy, childbirth, and the first months of parenting. Nearly 90 percent of the organization’s clients are African American women who, as a group, suffer dramatically worse maternal health outcomes than other women. Aza pioneered the organization’s comprehensive perinatal health worker training, which uses the community health worker model as a blueprint for creating pathways for women of color in human services and maternal health professions. Aza is a midwife and family counselor, and is currently pursuing her doctorate in human services. With a concentration in organizational leadership and management, her goal is to cultivate innovative models of perinatal care. She is also currently working on legalizing certified professional midwives in the District of Colombia. We discuss systemic racism and barriers facing the midwifery profession in the U.S., as well as the benefits of the community birth worker model. We also talk about Aza’s extremely pivotal role in the development of my book, Babies are Not Pizzas. For more information and news about Evidence Based Birth®, visit www.ebbirth.com. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Ready to get involved? Check out our Professional membership (including scholarship options) and our Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class. RESOURCES: Visit the Mamatoto Village website here, or connect on Facebook, on Twitter, or Instagram. Click here to see Advancing Birth Justice: Community-Based Doula Models as a Standard of Care for Ending Racial Disparities, from Black Mamas Matter Alliance. Get my book Babies are Not Pizzas: They’re Born, Not Delivered, on Amazon.

“We cannot be generative if we are afraid.” We are so hype for you to hear and learn from the wisdom and electric energy of Dr. Monica McLemore, Assistant Professor of Family Health Care Nursing at UCSF. Together, we talk about health injustices faced by Black mothers and the amazing work of the Black Mamas Matter Alliance. In addition, we talk about the importance of Reproductive Justice frameworks and the brilliant work that Dr. McLemore has done and continues to imagine with love for the health and well-being of Black mothers. We hope that by the end of this episode, listeners are encouraged to create change within their institutions and communities for Black mothers, children, and families. #ThisCouldAllBeDifferent and it will be. Bio: At the University of California, San Francisco, Dr. Monica McLemore is an assistant professor in the Family Health Care Nursing Department, an affiliated scientist with Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health, and a member of the Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health. She maintains clinical practice as a public health and staff nurse at San Francisco General Hospital in the Women's Options Center. McLemore's research is geared toward understanding women's health and wellness across the lifespan. She is an elected member of the governing council for Population Reproductive and Sexual Health section of the American Public Health Association and a recipient of the 2015 teaching award from the American College of Nurse Midwives. She received the 2018 Person of the Year Award from the Abortion Care Network. Her work embraces complex and intersectional problems associated with sexual and reproductive health, including health disparities, stigma, incarceration, unintended pregnancy, and difficulty accessing services.

In the United States, the month of April is recognized as National Minority Health Month. It’s an initiative to advance health equity across the country on behalf of all racial and ethnic minorities. And this week is Black Maternal Health Week! Black Mamas Matter Alliance is a non-profit organization sponsoring Black Maternal Health Week from April 11 through April 17. I strongly encourage you to connect with Black Mamas Matter and to sign up for their mailing list (find that link in the references below). They have all kinds of free social media events this week. It’s important to see black mamas’ voices and perspectives elevated around issues that impact them.  In this episode, we are excited to feature Michelle Gabriel Caldwell. Michelle is a trained and certified childbirth educator and doula. She has more than ten years of experience in both of these areas, and also has experience as a postpartum doula and a breastfeeding peer counselor. Her passion is educating women about their options during their birth journey. As a woman of African descent, she wants all women to understand the role they play in healing. In addition, Michelle holds science degrees and works full time for a Germany-based chemical company from her home in New Jersey. In 2018 Michelle became an Evidence Based Birth Instructor, and she is teaching Evidence Based Childbirth Classes for parents as well as EBB workshops for professionals in the New Jersey area.  Join us for a deep discussion on racism in the birth world, and how to combat institutional prejudice. One more announcement - TONIGHT is the last chance to attend our free public webinar all about the research evidence on epidurals and cesareans! You can register for that webinar via the link in the resources below.  For more information and news about Evidence Based Birth®, visit www.ebbirth.com. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. Ready to get involved? Check out our Professional membership (including scholarship options) and our Instructor program. Find an EBB Instructor here, and click here to learn more about the Evidence Based Birth® Childbirth Class.  RESOURCES: Sign up for the Black Mamas Matter Alliance email list here. Learn more about Black Maternal Health Week here. Connect with Michelle on Facebook, and via email at babypleasebirthservices@gmail.com Join us for our FREE webinar on the “Evidence on Epidurals and the Risk of Cesarean” airing live TONIGHT, April 17 at 9:00 pm Eastern! Register here.

In honor of Black Maternal Health Week we had the opportunity to interview CEO and co-founder Jessica Roach, MPH about the mission and work of Restoring Our Own Through Transformation (ROOTT).For Jessica this work began from the experiences she had birthing her children. Through them discovering her internal power but also that of the black community. The work of ROOTT is to remind families of where their history is and where they come from. Understanding that they have all they need in creating their stories and their families.This interview we delve deep into what taking back our reproductive choice and care can indeed look like — the work it takes to sit in our communities truth and power.We must always go back to the root! - Jessica Roach, MPHTo connect with, support and find our more about the work of ROOTT, head to their website.We are grateful for sponsors of this episode and other ROOTT activities this week. We would also like to acknowledge the Black Mamas Matter Alliance and all the Kindred Partners and collaborators for dedication to Black Mamas and families.Black Maternal Health Week - Hosted by ROOTT & PartnersFriday, April 12th 6:30 pm - Birth Stories in Color 'Ubuntu' (Birth Story Circle)Saturday, April 13th 11:30 am - ROOTT Village Circle: Inaugural Family GatheringSunday, April 14th 1:00 pm - ROOTT Perinatal Yoga (all stages)Wednesday, April 17th 10:30 am - 'Getting to the ROOTT' Community Discussion (Guest Speaker: Joia Crear-Perry, MD)Wednesday, April 17th 6:00 pm - An Evening with ROOTT at The Pelican Room (Special Guest: Joia Crear-Perry, MD /Performance by Liquid Crystal Project with Dre Peace)Sponsors:Black Mamas Matter Alliance | black women-led cross-sectoral allianceReplenish | spa servicesNARAL Pro-Choice America | reproductive rights organizationCommonsense Childbirth | comprehensive prenatal and postpartum careKirwan Institute | institute for the study of race and ethnicity - The Ohio State UniversityNew Voices for Reproductive Justice | reproductive justice organizationCelebrateOne | greater Columbus Infant mortality task force componentResources:National Birth Equity Collaborative | reproductive justice organizationBirthing Beautiful Communities | reproductive justice collectiveAfiya Center | reproductive justice organizationMamatoto Village | reproductive justice collectiveSistersong | reproductive justice collectiveAncientsong | international doula certifying organization

Why it is that black babies in the U.S. are more than twice as likely to die than white babies? And why are black women dying from complications related to childbirth four times more frequently than white women?Linda Villarosa is a journalist, an educator and a contributing writer to the New York Times Magazine. She covers the intersection of health and medicine and social justice.Andrea N. Williams is a Doula who supports families during their birth journeys here in Baltimore. She is a member of the Community Advisory Board for Bmore for Healthy Babies, and a member of the Working Group for the “Black Mamas Matter Alliance,” a national organization focused on maternal health. Rebeca Dineen is the Assistant Commissioner of the Baltimore Bureau of Maternal and Child Health. She leads a program called B’more for Healthy Babies.This segment will be streamed on WYPR's Facebook Page.

#DearMama Black women are fighting to stay alive while giving birth and Black babies are fighting to be born.  No one is coming to save us.  We are the ones we've been waiting for and there have been and continue to be brave Black women on the front lines of this fight. Our intention of this episode is to share the importance of Black birth workers and encourage Black mothers to discover the power within themselves to become active engaged participants in their pregnancy and birthing process.  Be sure to tag us on social media when sharing the episode and use the hashtag #BornFree. Be sure to hang with us until the end to hear about our collection plate cause Black Mamas Matter Alliance and our Black Mama Say phrase “Every eye open ain’t woke.”  For links to videos, articles, events and organizations mentioned in the episode, please check out the full show notes at demblackmamas.com.  Let's get free yall! SHOW LINE UP Church Announcements/Prayer Requests: Crystal has a new podcast; We’re giving away a Tshirt to anyone who can snap a picture of NeKisha in Chi-Town; and Thea is making good on her promise to developing Inner Ground Railroad for Black women by helping them access joy and pleasure through sex therapy. Mac & Cheese: Dem Black Births Collection Plate Causes: Black Mamas Matter Alliance Black Mama Say: “Every eye open ain’t woke.” And we've got DBM deals! Yara Imani is now offering 20% off of ALL MERCHANDISE with the code DEMBLACKMAMAS and Hili & Mac Apothecary is offering 10% off all merchandise with the code DEMBLACKMAMAS. Hili and Mac is a mother daughter team  whose passion is to bring the best skincare, clothes, accessories, home, and spirituality products to the market.    If you’re listening on iTunes, please rate us and if you have a little more time please leave a review.  You can also give us a review on Facebook.   If you’re listening on SoundCloud your comments are welcomed and tap the heart if you liked the episode and if you really like it, repost. Follow us on all social media platforms @demblackmamas If you’re feelin this episode we ask that you share, RT or repost but if you’re not big on sharing on social media, just share with one person who you feel can benefit from listening .  As always you can DM or email us at demblackmamas@gmail.com with your thoughts, questions or to just show us some love.  We love hearing from you!  LINKS: Invest in Dem Black Mamas  Da Poetry Lounge  Black Infant Memorial The Healing Wisdom of Africa  Birthmark Doulas  Black Maternal Health Conference & Training Institute Nikki & Nikki Career Lactation Consultants All Heart Podcast  VIDEOS: Can trauma be passed on to the next generation? All My Babies: A Midwife’s Own Story:  ARTICLES: Maternal Mortality rates in the U.S. have risen steadily.  Senator Kamala Harris has a plan to change that  Why Black Mothers and Babies are In a Life and Death Crisis  Hospitals Know How to Protect Mothers.  They Just Aren’t Doing It. Why Black Breastfeeding Week is so Important Why We Need Blackbreasting Week Playing Catch Up: Black Women and Breastfeeding  Mental Health Problems During Pregnancy are more common than you think  Granny Midwives of the South CenteringPregnancy  Looking for some Black Mama Love, support and connection.  Join the Facebook group Black Moms Connection. www.demblackmamas.com Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Are you a Women of Color interested in joining a podcast?  For information and inspiration join the Women of Color Podcasters Facebook Group. 

All five of Amy's children were born unassisted in her home. A deliberate decision made by her and her partner as they wanted to ensure the sacred moment of the birth of their children was led and governed by their decisions. For those unfamiliar with unassisted birth, families who choose to create this birth space usually birth without the support of doctors or midwives. Through her births, Amy was able to find healing from past trauma and now guides other families who want to have the same experience. In her story submission, Amy revealed that the unique perspective her stories offered to the Birth Stories in Color community was that "I feel that the absolute command of my birthing choices could bring much hope in other mamas and I hope to spark their memory of the warrior goddesses that are within them." We couldn't agree more with this sentiment. This episode is raw, funny, and informative! Sponsors:ROOTT | Today's episode is in partnership with Restoring Our Own Through Transformation (ROOTT) black women led reproductive justice organization dedicated to collectively restoring our well-being through self-determination, collaboration, and resources to meet the needs of women and families within communities.As a kindred partner of the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, ROOTT will host several events during the inaugural Black Maternal Health Week, April 11th -17th. These events are part of a coordinated, national effort to raise awareness and increase advocacy for Black Mamas, their children, and families of color. In Franklin County, Ohio alone, Black infant mortality rates are three times higher than white infants (15 per 1000 and 4.9 per 1000, respectively), with a largely unreported Maternal Mortality and Morbidity rate. ROOTT seeks to address the issue of these devastating health disparities informed by our collective voices in experience and evidence through Full Spectrum Doula services, provider training, advocacy, community engagement, and events.Resources:The Business of Being Born | documentaryUnassisted Childbirth - Laura Shanley