Black Maternal Health Week April 11-17
Founded and led by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Black Maternal Health Week is a week of awareness, activism, and community building intended to:
Deepen the national conversation about Black maternal health in the US;
Amplify community-driven policy, research, and care solutions;
Center the voices of Black Mamas, women, families, and stakeholders;
Provide a national platform for Black-led entities and efforts on maternal health, birth and reproductive justice; and
Enhance community organizing on Black maternal health.
As a Holistic Educator and as a Black mama this movement is something I am encouraged to see and be a part of. Not only because it centers a group of individuals that look like me and not only because I believe in supporting healthy families as a basis for a healthy community, but because this movement was created to nurture, empower, defend, and advocate for the health of a group of people who have historically not been treated with such humanity. As I continue my doula training course I am reminded of the mistreatment Black women have been subject to since before the founding of the US, in some cases being subject to studies and experiments preformed on Black bodies with disregard to our pain, right for consent, or our dignity in attempts to "improve" medicine. This mistreatment of Black folks was based on the racist idea that our bodies and minds differed from that of the white person, coupled with previously mentioned "medical research" the bodies of science and medicine in this country began to grow based on faulty facts that have lead to generations of poor medical outcomes for all people of color.
However the story does not end there, as the nation continued to grow so did the number of Black folks that used their lives and voices to lead the way in implementing changes that have led to improved systems of care in the US. While we enjoy and celebrate the changes that have brought us to a healthier future we know there is still much work to do!
We at Sun Moon & Stars Holistic Health & Reproduction are joining forces with @BlackMamasMatter (BMMA) to continue the work of centering Black women’s scholarship, maternity care work, and advocacy across the full-spectrum of sexual, maternal, and reproductive health care, services, programs, and initiatives. This year marks the fifth anniversary of Black Maternal Health Week, during the week of April 11-17 we'll be focusing on the 2022 theme “Building for Liberation: Centering Black Mamas, Black Families, and Black Systems of Care,”. Again this theme aligns with our mission and values as we continue to promote maternal mental health on The Porch and paternal wellness through continued quality emotional, spiritual, and physical full spectrum doula support.
Join us today! Learn more about local events in the Florida area or check out amazing virtual events that will be happening the rest of the week at blackmamasmatter.org/bmhw