Black Lives Matter.

I've been busy these last few weeks. Away from this page, sure, but busy nonetheless; busy processing, crying, grieving, healing, supporting, and being reminded of why I got into this work in the first place.

My choice to become a doula/birthworker has always been political. As a Black womxn in America, I've grown up with an awareness of this country's grim history with the exploitation of our bodies and children, and of the ever-increasing maternal death-rate that claims our lives at 3-4 times that of non-Black people who are giving birth. I've grown up seeing my mother and other Black people that I love recounting horrible acts of discrimination and race-based trauma they've experienced at the hands of a very flawed healthcare system. As a Queer person, I've grown up without accurate representations of birth that reflected my communities, identity, and ideals. I've seen Black, Trans people experience violence from the mostly cis-birthing community, both locally and on a macro scale. As a chronically-ill person, I've NEVER seen someone like me birthing in mainstream media; and finally, as a person who has been impacted by poverty and homelessness, I've worried about having access to and being able to afford birthing without fear of violence and death, let alone the births of my dreams. I've also been in a place where the idea of having access to a doula, midwife, or insurance seemed absolutely impossible and inconceivable. All of this is political. I became a doula because I felt I had to in order to protect my communities; the Black community, the LGBTQIA+ communities, and the neurodivergent and chronically- ill communities: the underserved, overlooked and dismissed. I see you. I am you, and I am here to help.

Usually, I'm a Lifeways early childhood teacher for 40 hours a week, but being quarantined since March has given me time to re-evaluate and re-prioritize. I'm eager to get to work alongside you all to fight white supremacy in the Buffalo-Niagara region and beyond. I challenge you to reimagine our birthing community into one that respects and cultivates LIFE, but especially for the sake of the Black lives that it has relied on and ignored for too long! BLACK LIVES MATTER! If you would like to directly help a Black mother of 4 (who is being unjustly held in downtown Buffalo and who is being denied medical care after having been shot by police 8 times and surviving a car accident), there is a link in my Instagram bio to sign the petition to get Deyanna Davis home.

P.s. Over the next few days, I'll be adding highlights to my page with resources and links you can use to support the Black birthing world, so keep an eye out for stories, posts, and more information! If you are a Black birthworker who wants to collaborate in the future, DM me!