black maternal health week

Dear Mama,

Dream with me.  Can you imagine a world with a Black midwife in every family, in every community, easily accessible, at our fingertips, a world in which birth choices aren’t controlled by capitalism, a world in which the birth practices that Black women used to literally birth this country are honored, a world in which they are revered, a world in which Black midwives could practice the full scope of reproductive health and reproductive choices are respected, a world in which Black mothers don’t fear death in the midst of giving birth, experience it with fully joy and bodily autonomy.  It’s Black Maternal Health Week and we are grateful for the opportunity to sit with two people invested in building that world: Jamarah Amani, founder of National Black Midwives Alliance & cofounder of Southern Birth Justice Network & filmmaker K. Sanderson  In this episode we’re talking: 

👉🏾Harriet Tubman & midwifery (Yeah we ain’t even know)

👉🏾Why the medical system fears Black midwifery (I mean we know why but still)

👉🏾The fight & journey to answer your calling (chiiilllleee this got deep)

👉🏾Their documentary series Legacy Power Voice: Movements in Black Midwifery (cause WE KNO what happens when other people tell our stories)

✨💗✊🏾

✨MERCH OF THE MONTH - MAGIC EVERMORE BOX ✨

The intention of this box is for Black Mamas to honor the light within themselves.  The items inside the Magic Evermore box will prepare Black mamas to soak up all the energy of the sun all summer and remind them of the importance of documenting themselves, the power to manifest the life you want, and to soften and pour into yourself when your mothership hits rough waters.  Items inside:

✨Full Black Mama Magic Card Deck

✨Manifestation Crystals: Citrine, Pyrite, Rose Quartz, Blue Apatite

✨Incense from Smell Good Spa

✨Mama Magic: Evermore Picture Frame

✨Postcards

✨Gratitude Jar

✨Herbs: Jasmine, Eucalyptus, & Lavender

✨An investment in yourself and in Dem Black Mamas Podcast. When you invest in us, you are investing in a platform curated by three women actively creating spaces of healing, creativity & liberation.

ABOUT OUR GUESTS

Jamarah Amani, LM is a community midwife who believes in the transformative and healing power of birth and that every baby has a human right to human milk. Her mission is to do her part to build a movement for Birth Justice locally, nationally and globally. Jamarah is the architect of the Birth Justice framework, the Black Midwives Model of Care and the Birth Justice Bill of Rights. Jamarah identifies as Black, Femme and Queer.  A community organizer from the age of sixteen, Jamarah has worked with several organizations across the United States, the Caribbean and in Africa on various public health issues, including HIV prevention, infant mortality risk reduction, access to emergency contraception and access to midwifery care. As a birth worker and activist, Jamarah has been tackling issues of racial justice, including the epidemics of Black maternal and infant morbidity/mortality for over fifteen years. She is currently the Executive Director of Southern Birth Justice Network, (https://southernbirthjustice.org/) a 501(c)3 non-profit organization working to expand the Birth Justice movement and to make midwifery and doula care accessible to marginalized communities. She is also the co-founder of National Black Midwives Alliance, (https://blackmidwivesalliance.org/) the only national professional association in the U.S. specifically for midwives of African descent, and a founding member of the Queer and Transgender Midwives Association.

Karyl-Lyn Sanderson (they/them), affectionately known as K, is a non-binary visionary, artist and entrepreneur with over 20 years of work experience as a digital media producer. K’s mission is to shift societal paradigms while enriching and advancing the lives of those they serve. With their daring and joyful spirit, K takes on projects that bring greater exposure to causes and issues of importance.  For over a decade, K created groundbreaking media as the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Limitless New Media, an independently operated creative studio that designed a wide array of original content for community, educational and faith-based initiatives. K is an alumni of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, Film and Television Production program.

OTHER IMPORTANT LINKS

• History of Florida Midwife & 1965 Medicaid Legislation 
• The Woman King
• Michelle Browder Mothers of Gynecolgy

All other links mentioned in the episode & full show notes on our website at demblackmamas.com/podcast 

Thanks for coming inside the Black Mama Magic Room.  If you’re a new listener, welcome to the ride. If you’re a newbie or an OG, order our intentionally curated  Our Magic Evermore Box which is our Merch of Month by May 1st and receive it in time for Mother’s Day. 

✨💗✊🏾

In this episode of The Mommy Labor Nurse Podcast, I am joined by Charles Johnson, the founder of 4Kira4Moms. 

Charles tragically lost his wife Kira during a routine C-section at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, California in 2016. This experience led him to create 4Kira4moms in 2017.

The goal of 4Kira4Moms is to be a voice for other mothers and families facing unnecessary maternal loss and to help put an end to the black maternal mortality health crisis.

It is a sad reality that in the US, black women are four times more likely to die during pregnancy and childbirth than white women. This is due to implicit bias and systemic racism within the healthcare system, as well as a lack of access to high-quality maternal healthcare and resources.

Inside the episode, Charles and I discuss this tragic epidemic and talk about what platforms like 4Kira4Moms are doing to spark change and shed light on the issue. Then we get into what we can do to support his mission!

Tune in to hear Kira's story and learn how you can help make a difference.

Learn more about Charles Johnson

Charles Johnson has dedicated his life to the pursuit of what his own family failed to receive – safe, respectful, and equitable maternal health outcomes in America. His passion for systemic change is driven by his love for his wife, Kira, who passed away following the birth of their second child. In April 2016, Kira underwent a routine C-section following an uncomplicated pregnancy. Hours later, she died from internal hemorrhaging despite adamant pleas for help from medical professionals by her husband and loved ones. Her story exemplifies the current crises happening in America: rising rates of maternal mortality and the silencing of Black voices.

After experiencing the unimaginable, Charles harnessed his pain and used it to pursue the highest level of good. He channeled his grief into founding 4Kira4Moms, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving birth outcomes in America. Charles knows childbirth should be empowering and free of fear for all mothers. 4Kira4Moms advocates for improved maternal health policies and regulations, educates about the impact of maternal mortality in our communities, provides support to victims’ loved ones, and approaches maternal mortality as a human rights issue. Mothers are the very framework of our society. They teach us how to love unconditionally and are willing to protect the most vulnerable among us. The loss of even one at the hands of an unjust system robs our country of what it needs most.

Charles has used his voice and story to advocate for change at countless events and media appearances all over the country. He is a board member of March for Moms and serves as Chairman of the Fairness of Injured Patients Act, which seeks to restore the rights of victims of medical negligence in California. Charles has testified twice before Congress and helped pass key legislation including: the Preventing Maternal Death Act of 2018, the Protecting Moms Who Served Act of 2021, and the California Momnibus. He is currently working with Congress to pass the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act, an unprecedented set of bills addressing every aspect of the maternal health crisis happening in America. Charles was also honored by Oprah Winfrey on OWNSpotlight’s 2020 fatherhood special entitled, “Honoring our Kings – Celebrating Black Fatherhood.”

In addition to his advocacy work, Charles is busy raising his two beautiful boys, Charles V and Langston, who keep their mothers’ spirit alive powerfully every day.

Learn more about 4Kira4Moms

• 4Kira4Moms
• HR 1318 - Preventing Maternal Death Acts of 2018
• Kira Johnson Act
• Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021

This episode of The Mommy Labor Nurse Podcast is all about the realities of black maternal health here in the US, and what we can do to spark change!

I actually put this podcast out last year, but I wanted to re-release it this week in honor of Black Maternal Health Week 2022.

To spark any kind of change surrounding racism in healthcare (and specifically in black maternal health), I truly believe that awareness is the first step.

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