Black Moms STILL don’t Trust Hospitals

“Birth is a rite of passage of women. Their journey should be honored, their rights should be fiercely protected, and their stories should be shared.” — Marcie Macari

Maternal health is more likely to be a matter of life or death for African American women, who often navigate a lack of medical access during pregnancy. Charlotte doula Kelle Pressley talks about her work delivering healthy babies and what can be done to close the maternal health gap in the finale of this two-part episode. Host: Aaliyah Bowden. (Click here to tune in)

“Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood. “ — Marie Curie

Dear Black Mamas,

Consider birth centers and home birthing. The United States, our country has the worst rates of maternal mortality in the industrialized world. Increasingly, experts are revealing what we’ve always known and that’s the fact that grim racial inequities do exist in America’s healthcare system.

Black mothers in the United States are four times as likely to die from maternity-related complications as white women.

Birth centers are sort of halfway points between hospital births and home births. They serve women with low-risk pregnancies and use midwives, who have medical training, and doulas, a nonmedical position focused on emotional support, physical comfort, and patient advocacy.

Until you feel safe in all birthing spaces, I am here. – The Pinkgrasshopper Full Spectrum Doula Trainer

Get help and heal at your own pace.– Tribal L&D podcast

All of the links feature recent podcasts and printed resources from me. Enjoy.

Thanks for sharing the resources – The Charlotte Post and Tribal A&D Podcast

Big props to New Jerseys Dr Nicola , – The Birth Center of New Jersey in Union, N.J., where Ms. Eaddy-Onque gave birth to Anastasia, has been increasingly busy during the pandemic. Founded and owned by Dr. Nicola Pemberton, a Black obstetrician-gynecologist, this facility is unusual in that it is run by a medical doctor who has admitting privileges at a nearby hospital and that it primarily serves people of color.

Harriet Tubman Day – March 10th & Women’s History Month

Today is Harriet Tubman Day, where we honor anti-slavery activist and abolitionist Harriet Tubman. Tubman is most widely known for leading enslaved people north on the Underground Railroad, but her contributions to abolition and equality don’t stop there. She served as a scout and spy for the Union Army during the Civil War, and fiercely advocated for women’s voting rights in her later years.

Born into slavery in the 1820s, Tubman escaped to Philadelphia in 1849. She soon returned to the south and became a conductor” on the Underground Railroad – a network of antislavery activists and safe houses – where she personally led approximately 70 enslaved people to freedom.

At the start of the Civil War, Tubman was recruited to assist former enslaved people as they escaped to Union camps. Initially a nurse, Tubman soon became the head of an espionage and scout network for the Union Army, mapping out enemy terrain and providing key intelligence to Union officials. In 1863, Tubman led the Combahee River Raid, where more than 750 enslaved people were rescued. She continued working for the Union Army until the Confederacy surrendered in 1865, assisting newly liberated people, scouting for the Union Army, and aiding wounded soldiers.

In the late 1890s, Tubman went on to work alongside women’s suffragists to promote women’s voting rights. She traveled throughout the Eastern US, speaking of her experiences in and after the Civil War, and citing her own experiences as well as those of many other women to further the suffragist movement.

Tubman is a key figure in American history who continues to inspire generations of activists and political figures today. Not only was she instrumental in liberating many formerly enslaved people, but she contributed to the Union victory, and advocated for equality to create a more just nation. Tubman will soon be featured on the $20 bill, with President Biden pledging to speed up the design process and cement Tubman’s legacy further.