Let’s face it, our healthcare system is fraught with racial bias, and when it comes to maternal health, it’s most deadly for Black women. Did you know, according to the NYC Department of Health, Black women in NYC are approximately 9 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women? Or that mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety, are the leading cause of pregnancy-associated deaths in NYC, and that these conditions disproportionately affect Black women?
Beyond the heartbreaking statistics of being a Black birthing person in New York City and across the country, we recognize the long and rich history of Black doulas and midwives. Today, more and more women are speaking out about their pregnancies, while others are working directly with doulas instead of using traditional methods within the American healthcare system. At the heart of doula work is education, advocacy, and care.
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Here at The LP, we resource artists through our Create Change program, many of whom address some of the most important issues facing our communities. Building on the visionary work of our founder, Risë Wilson, part of our mission is to continue providing spaces for ‘art creation, using art for agency and self-determination, not just consumption.’
For nearly twenty years, we’ve done just that, fostering art and creative expression as a catalyst for knowledge-sharing through a pedagogical framework rooted in community-building, social practice, and activist work. We know that art has the power to spark new ideas, birth new realities, and give context to lived experiences. It helps to shape how we see the world. Art is a way for us to envision a more equitable world, and the artists we work with through the Create Change program understand its boundless potential.
Addressing Black maternal wellness, 2024 Create Change Fellows, Ziedah Diata and Jennella Young, created a multimedia, multi-sensory participatory art experience at the 13th annual Kowteff Juneteenth Celebration at Restoration Plaza in Bed-Stuy for the community-based activation. Designed to explore community ancestors’ pregnancy and birthing stories, the activation encouraged participants to learn about reproductive health disparities, create healing affirmations, and learn about local community organizations with a mission to provide birth and reproductive equity. Partnering with the ARIAH Foundation, Jennella and Ziedah engaged attendees and residents in a visual mapping and photography project.
Remarking on the project, Jennella reflected on the reality that most deaths are preventable. The American healthcare system, as it exists today, is failing Black and POCwomen. Initially interested in the idea of what it means to honor mothering, Jennella, who was raised by her grandmother, wanted to create a space to reflect on the long-standing tradition of ‘mothers’ in our communities. These are our unsung heroes, ‘the grandmothers, aunties, godmothers, teachers, and the people who choose to raise, nurture, and hold us.’
Like many things born out of necessity, The ARIAH Foundation was created by the mother, sister, and life partner of Shamony Makeba Gibson, a 30-year-old mother of two who passed away due to a birth-related pulmonary embolism. In addition to developing programs and services centered around the lived experiences and expressed needs of BIPOC mothers and birthing people, The ARIAH Foundation, also hosts local community-based events. We encourage you to learn more about The ARIAH Foundation and other NYC-based organizations that provide birth and reproductive justice support.
RESOURCES
ARIAH Foundation – Create Change Community Partner