Black Birth Matters Summit aims to raise awareness

By Makenna Mincey
Contributing Writer

Thousands of women across the country give birth every day, and some of them are giving their lives to do it.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), 50,000 women die each year from pregnancy-related causes. However, Black women are three times more likely to die in childbirth than their white counterparts. In 2022, the maternal mortality rate for Black women was 49.5 for every 100,000 live births, significantly higher than any other racial group.

Birthmark, a New Orleans-based doula-owned birth justice organization founded in 2011 to support, inform and advocate for pregnant Black and LGBTQ individuals and their families, is working to address the high incidence rate of maternal mortality in Louisiana.

On Oct. 5 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Executive Center in Baton Rouge, La., Birthmark will host the 2024 Black Birth Matters Summit: “Reimagining Birth Through Collective Liberation.” The summit gathers Black birth workers, activists and supporters for a day of learning and networking that includes workshops, panel discussions, open dialogue, art and more focused on how birth outcomes and social justice intersect. This year’s summit will also include a guided tour in New Orleans – “Our Lineage: Tour and Tea.”

“Black Birth Matters emerged from addressing the issues that faced our Black families and Black birthing families across Louisiana. It contributes to awareness by creating a safe space for Black and brown people, a safe space where all are welcomed,” said Victoria Williams, Birthmark member-owner and advocacy lead.

Louisiana has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country. A lack of accessible women’s health care, poverty and racial bias all contribute to risky outcomes for potential mothers. The overturning of Roe v. Wade in summer of 2022, which allowed lawmakers to make abortion illegal in Louisiana, has only made matters worse.

According to the Center for Reproductive Rights, Louisiana’s abortion bans have undermined miscarriage management, exacerbated past and current barriers to care, amplified existing stressors, financial barriers, and other crises, and disproportionately impacted historically marginalized groups.

Enter Birthmark, the only doula-owned cooperative in Louisiana. The collaborative offers emotional, physical, and informational support to families throughout the full spectrum of reproductive health and parenting by offering childbirth education, birth doula and postpartum doula services, and lactation support as part of their advocacy. The Black Birth Matters Summit was a project born of Birthmark in 2016 and has since evolved into a nationwide movement.

“Last year, we were on the steps of the capitol, and I was like, ‘Black Birth Matters needs to be here [Baton Rouge] … because this is close to the lawmakers.’ We need to show them that we can gather and convene in a space and continue to amplify the message that Black birth matters,” Williams said.

The summit comes at a time when women’s healthcare is a pressing issue in politics, with the upcoming presidential election and what it means for access to abortion and other family planning care. Until then, Birthmark plans on filling the gap with their Maternal Healthcare Fund initiative, which seeks to set aside money for further advocacy efforts, community programs and educational workshops. Their goal is to raise $100,000 with a focus of improving the birthing experience for Black families.

“We must reimagine a world where every birth is a celebration of life and freedom, unshackled from the chains of systemic racism and oppression,” said Williams. “Our liberation is intertwined with the health and well-being of our communities, and it begins with birth.”

The Black Birth Matters Summit is taking place at the Executive Center, located at 250 S. Foster Drive in Baton Rouge. More information on the summit is available online at www.birthmarkdoulas.com.

This article originally published in the September 30, 2024 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.