This Black History Month I want to celebrate the 3 amazing black doulas on our team who are making history every single day, because black birth matters! Tamika, Jessica, & Norma are 3 of the kindest humans you will ever meet. All 3 are birth doulas who love serving all kinds of families, but definitely have a very special heart to be able to serve families from the Black Community especially. We know how important culturally congruent care can be to all families, but especially here in the US where maternal mortality is 3-4 times higher for black birthing families than everyone else, and where racism is a daily fact of life.
These 3 doulas are all so very different, but the one thing they have in common is a personal understanding of the black experience here in Evansville. Their lived experiences help shape the type of doulas they are with all of their clients of course. Their compassion for the struggle of navigating the healthcare system all while worrying that whoever is in charge of your care might be judging you based on your skin color is impeccable. They know that black birth experience matters. We LOVE the questions that they ask and their approach to helping families, and I learn from every single conversation that I get the chance to have with each of them. They help make our team be better for ALL of our clients.
I celebrate these brilliant black doulas because of their bravery and knowing that this work is about so much more than representation. The human connection is what doula work is all about, and these 3 get it on a cellular level. They are proud black doulas here serving our community and raising beautiful children in a sometimes very challenging place. In a place that so often believes that intention is the same as impact, having a black doula who gets it is so important for black birth!
I asked one of them what was hard about living here, and her reply was, “I think its because the racism is hidden, so its harder to decide who is trustworthy.” That was a gut punch of a statement, but of course a sentiment shared by many families of color. These doulas get it, because they live it. The best part though, “that we have such a great group of doulas supporting each other who all get it.” We all know that black birth matters & really want to make sure that black parents here are able to expect not only to come out of birth alive, but also to expect an amazingly supportive experience in every way.
We see you Tamika, Jessica, & Norma out here being the change you want to see in the world. We’re so lucky to have you on our team. Thank you for trusting this group to be part of your doula community. We appreciate your perspective and work so very much, and are here to support you in every way we can.
If you’re a black parent in the Evansville area, we would love the chance to introduce you to our amazing black doulas. They’re experts in birth and postpartum support who know that black birth experience matters here in Evansville and the whole tristate area.
