Black History Month: Reclaiming My Power Through Birthwork

Black midwives and birthworkers have always had a place in the Black community in the United States. From the moment Africans were kidnapped and sold into slavery, Black birthworkers worked to help women during pregnancy and delivery, and then throughout the entirety of their lives. Black midwives were present "from womb to tomb”, often ushering in new life, and sending others home.

During Jim Crow Black midwives continued to deliver Black babies, as many white doctors would not do it themselves. And those that might have considered it, often refused to go out to the deep country where those babies were being delivered. During these time periods granny midwives were there delivering babies, healing during sickness, counseling, feeding, caring, and were basically the guardians of the community. As segregation and Jim Crow ended, and it became profitable to deliver Black babies, granny midwives began to be forced out a practice that is as old as human existence.

As more and more women chose and/ or were forced into delivering babies in hospital settings, we also saw a rise in the maternal and infant mortality rate among Black families. And this is because the practitioners were predominantly white men, who had no interest in understanding or listening to Black women and their bodies. The process of carrying and delivering a baby is already dangerous for many reasons, but becomes increasingly so, when dealing with explicit racism, racial bias, and a lack of compassion. Most Black women in the United States have experienced racial bias while visiting with a medical practitioner, and that bias puts our lives at risk. Even Serena Wiliams has a story, which she shared to help shed light on the reality that Black women face.

Having had my own experiences with racism and bias while and after delivering babies, I made the choice to follow the legacy of these granny midwives, and serve my community. And while I am a doula for ALL families, it will always be Black families and birthworkers that keep me inspired and engaged in this work. My call to birthworker was and is an act of reclamation and protest.