3 Black Reproductive Justice Organizations You Should Support Beyond Black History Month
February 27, 2023Each and every February the world turns on its axis forcing organizations and global companies to uplift the significance, brilliance and historical contributions of Black people. For 28 days, Black folks are at the center of advertisements, campaigns and Black faces are shoved to the forefront. The end of Black History Month closely resembles a magic show.. POOF! When March rolls in, Black people are then pushed back into the margins.
In the Reproductive Justice movement, it’s no different. Cisgender white women-led organizations have strong-armed the Reproductive Justice space; even though Black women created the space and actually coined the term “Reproductive Justice” in 1994.
At the start of 2023, Forward Together joined SisterSong and other reproductive justice organizations and leaders for an RJ summit. The summit took place on what would have been the 50th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion—a decision that was overturned in 2022 leading to the loss of legal abortion in half the country. The group envisioned a new future for Reproductive Justice that acknowledges the leadership role Black women have had in the Reproductive Justice movement. Read the statement here.
SISTER SONG WOMEN OF COLOR REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE COLLECTIVE
Sis
terSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective was formed in 1997 by 16 organizations of women of color from four mini-communities (Native American, African American, Latina, and Asian American) who recognized that we have the right and responsibility to represent ourselves and our communities, and the equally compelling need to advance the perspectives and needs of women of color.
SisterSong is a Southern based, national membership organization; our purpose is to build an effective network of individuals and organizations to improve institutional policies and systems that impact the reproductive lives of marginalized communities.
At the start of 2023, Forward Together joined SisterSong and other reproductive justice organizations and leaders for an RJ summit. The summit took place on what would have been the 50th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion—a decision that was overturned in 2022 leading to the loss of legal abortion in half the country. The group envisioned a new future for Reproductive Justice that acknowledges the leadership role Black women have had in the Reproductive Justice movement. Read the statement here.
SOUTHERN BIRTH JUSTICE NETWORK
Midwifery
care is holistic, healing, and humanistic. It has a rich herstory and legacy in communities of color. The Southern Birth Justice Network’s vision is to make this care accessible to all peoples, especially Black, Brown, youth, immigrant, Indigenous, LGBTQ+, low- income and other marginalized communities. Their mission is to expand Birth Justice by using storytelling, popular education, and community organizing to improve access to midwifery and doula care.
Through their latest program, SBJN provides mobile midwifery services in the Miami-Dade county area. Patients can visit with a licensed community midwife for prenatal checkups, referrals, and support with other pregnancy services; meet with doulas who are trained to offer support birthing people throughout the entire pregnancy; childbirth education class and fitness demonstrations are offered as well. Support SBJN here.
THE BLACK MAMAS MATTER ALLIANCE
The Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA) is a national network of Black women-led and Black-led, birth and reproductive justice organizations and multi-disciplinary professionals, working across the full-spectrum of maternal and reproductive health. Every year, BMMA hosts Black Maternal Health Week (BMHW), a week-long campaign to build awareness, activism, and community-building to amplify the voices, perspectives and lived experiences of Black Mamas and birthing people. The week is intentionally held during National Minority Health Month and begins on April 11th annually to join dozens of global organizations in marking this day as International Day for Maternal Health and Rights – an opportunity to advocate for the elimination of maternal mortality globally. The activities and conversations hosted throughout the week intentionally center the values and traditions of the reproductive and birth justice movements.
The theme for #BMHW23 is “Our Bodies Belong to Us: Restoring Black Autonomy and Joy!” In light of the steadily alarming rise of maternal mortality in the U.S., which recent data shows has been exacerbated by the pandemic; and amidst growing cases of clear neglect in care in hospital systems immediately after labor and delivery, BMMA continues to highlight and center culturally-congruent practices with a focus on Black Midwifery care and full-spectrum Black-led Doula care as sound, evidence-based solutions. Most importantly, these are practices and solutions that incorporate the true needs, wants and desires of Black women and birthing people.
Learn more about BMMA here.