Black Women are Dying to Give Life ~ Do You Care?

A couple of days ago I read a post from one of my favorite mamma bloggers Darcel over at Mahogany Way Mamma.  She started off her post speaking about an article she found, read, and shared that discussed the more than alarming rates of maternal deaths in the African American community.  An article that she knew was important enough to shared with others and an article folk on FB And twitter basically ignored.

The article shared some startling statistics.  Some of the numbers I already knew. As an example:  Black Women nationally are FOUR Times more likely to die from childbirth related causes than white women and the numbers of black women dying is RISING.   Maternal mortality is counted in relation to 100,000 births.  In 1997 the rates was 21.5, in 2007 it was 28.4 and in just ONE year it had risen to 36.1. WTF!!!!

In the great state of New York, a black woman has EIGHT times the risk of dying than her white counterpart.  In fact in 2008 seventy-nine women died giving birth in the state of New York alone.  What’s more alarming… YES there is more…. these numbers are not even accurate.  The rates are believed to be much higher because of the inaccuracies and inconsistencies in reporting systems. Reporting is voluntary and often women who die from complications of childbirth are not even counted if her death came months after she gave birth.  Don’t believe me?? Check out THIS 1998 report from the CDC and THIS study the CDC produced in 2003.

This is absolutely ridiculous, inexcusable, and it says a LOT about the conditions that black women live in and birth in.   While I already knew some of these statistics, each time I read an article like this one I am once again shocked, upset, sad, dismayed, enraged, and I sit with blood boiling and I like Darcel begin to wonder  if anyone is paying attention.  As I read her blog post I could feel her passion, her frustration, her anger as she asked the question:  “When Will You Care?”

There is no denying that there is a war on women everywhere.   What continues to be swept under the rug however is the reality that WE… Black Women… are being forced to go into battle completely unarmed and we are dying left and right because of it. Birth advocates nation wide talk the talk of service and care for all women yet Black women and babies continue to get LESS than the short end of the stick.

No article is perfect and this article too left much out of the dialogue but it did successfully shed a beaming light on the problem. Unfortunately,  as Darcel shared in her blog post… individuals are too scared or too unconcerned to share this information.  Individuals are too apathetic to get involved in the fight.   Getting involved in this fight means accepting the fact that RACISM is real, alive, and working in this country. Getting involved in this fight requires admitting that black women are treated differently and NOT in a good way. Getting involved in this fight means getting dirty, stepping on toes, and making some people uncomfortable.

We need EVERYONE  who says they care to act like they care. We need all of you who talk the talk to get off your asses and make some noise, tell mothers, fathers, legislatures, daughters, aunts, brothers etc about what is happening.  This. Is. SERIOUS!!! And  We need to be screaming from the rafters and the mountain tops… … BLACK WOMEN ARE DYING AS THEY GIVE LIFE AND  WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING.

Thank you Darcel for calling us to the carpet and igniting another fire in me. This is a battle my friend and I am going in with you.  Who’s going with??

Y do Black Midwives NEED their OWN Conference?

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to attended the 7^th International Black Midwives and Healers Conference sponsored by the International Center for Traditional Childbearing (ICTC). This was my third time attending the conference and it was wonderful to see how the organization has grown.  There is so much I want to share from the conference that I’ve decided to separate it into a couple of posts….

From the ICTC website:  The International Center for Traditional Childbearing, Inc. (ICTC) is a non-profit African centered organization located in Portland, Oregon. ICTC was created to promote the health of women and their families and to train Black women aspiring to become midwives. We provide recruitment, education, and support to those desiring to serve their community…  We educate and advocate through community workshops, study groups, or just one to one support. ICTC is inclusive in its membership… The early beginnings of the International Center for Traditional Childbearing( ICTC) date back to August 1991. We were then, and are now a grassroots organization, responding to critical health care needs. We are determined that the early death of babies and mothers, an aftermath of slavery and a legacy of poverty, shall be reversed.

Mothering Magazine was present and accounted for at the conference because they realize that while the conference was titled the 7^th International Black Midwives and Healers Conference ALL were welcomed to attend and participate.  Unfortunately one of their facebook fans was confused and posted a comment about the need for Black Midwives to have a “separate” conference.

From Mistie on facebook: “I’m going to stir the pot here and I *know* I’ll get some “hate” responses, but I don’t care, after all, aren’t we the women to speak out about the things we feel are injustices? … Why do Black Midwives have their own conference? Why are they not Midwives with all the… other women who work together (or are supposed to work together) to bring healing and empowerment to other women? Are these black Midwives excluded from any of the other conferences, forcing them to have their own? All I know is that shouldn’t we all be coming together instead of excluding others or forming racial clicks? I understand the issues that black women have over come in America, it just seems to me that (by a singled out conference such as this) the issues of all other women in America haven’t existed, have been brushed aside…  We will never get the support of our nation to stand behind us if we won’t even stand united with each other… ” (read more including responses by visiting Mothering Mag facebook fan page)

Hmmmmm *scratches head in confusion* Quite a number of people responded to her to her question. (None of them included hate BTW) I did not participate in the facebook conversation but I would like to make a statement about it here…

The number one take away that I got from this year’s ICTC conference… WE have an epidemic in OUR community and WE have to save OUR babies. WE have to save OUR sisters. The saving of OUR babies and women has to be a grass roots effort. If WE don’t do it… it won’t happen so WE must take the charge to make it happen. This is one of the reasons we have a “separate” conference.

“Are these black Midwives excluded from any of the other conferences, forcing them to have their own?” No… but there is no other midwifery organization, nor any other conference where the saving of Black Women and Babies is THE focus. Other conferences have great topics about all things midwifery but you would be hard pressed to find a session specifically focused on saving Black women and babies. At the ICTC conference we had not just one session on the topic of saving OUR babies but a few sessions.  ICTC realizes the importance of this issue, not just from lip service but in a way that creates an urgency.  And please keep in mind… the ICTC conference is NOT exclusive. There were many non-Black women there and we welcome EVERYONES attendance, membership and involvement.

 

ICTC all Inclusive

 

 

Me and Geradine Simkins (Midwife and President of MANA)

 

“I understand the issues that black women have over come in America…” I would have to say respectfully, as a white women NO… you can’t REALLY understand the issues that black women have “overcome” nor the issues that CONTINUE to plague our communities, our families, and our perinatal outcomes. This is the reason for the question. If one really understood the issues there would be no need to question the need for a “Black Midwives” conference.

The Black Midwives and Healers Conference was/is always a WONDERFUL experience. In addition to helping us learn about ways to help our community it is about so much more.  I love ICTC and the founder Shafia Monroe. I love the

 

Me and Shafia Monroe (Midwife and ICTC Founder)

 

mission of ICTC. I  LOVE the sister LOVE I receive whenever I attend the conference. I enjoy being around other midwives of color who are supportive of me and provide me with positive energy to move forward in my passion. I love this conference and the way that it rejuvenates the spirit and the soul in a way that only a midwifery conference can. I love being a part of this circle of women who believe in birth, who believe in women, and who are specially committed to black communities here in America and throughout the Diaspora.  I love being a part of this group of women who are committed to supporting, nurturing, mentoring, and providing advice guidance, and love in the spirit of black women, and midwifery. The love is unmistakable, genuine, rejuvenating and life giving.

Yes we go to other midwifery conferences but the experience of being around a group of women who look like me is unmistakable. If you have any doubts… whether you are Black or White, Asian, or Latina, Purple, Green, or Blue… put the ICTC conference on your calendar.  Make a point to attend the conference next year. And you will see for yourself… we are NOT exclusive. We are ALL INclusive.  We have a special mission and hope that you will join us. More from conference to come… In the meantime…

Be Blessed and Birth Well
Nicole