by Rudy Johnson How many of you have hopes and dreams? And I am not talking about flying to the moon or visiting Mars, but practical down to earth dreams. When young, our dreams are more outlandish. As an adult, practicality hits, as does the drive to live a purposeful life. Here in the United States, we’re given the chance to dream. As a citizen of this “developed” nation, we’re taught to shoot for the stars, and to grab a piece of the proverbial pie. For most, the goals would be to raise a family, and gain financial success. But this fairy tale life is just that for too many of the “citizens” of this great nation. For minorities, getting to the family part can literally result in death. Specifically when you look at the disturbing gaps between the care we seek for pregnancy/childbirth and the care we actually get. For people of color, that disparity occurs at a staggeringly higher percentage. Why Choose Birth Work? Knowing why you choose this realm or profession may start the process of how you work within the job. Birth work is innate, deeply rooted, yet has been crowded by overconfident credentials and pervasive thinking. We now overshadow the wisdom that was once passed down from person to person, the village mentality or passing of the baton. Doulas, Midwives, OBGYN’s, you should re-frame your thoughts regarding pregnancy. Mary Poppins comes to mind with her magical satchel. Anything you needed, either unspoken or verbalized, she would materialize, and she did so without judgement. We could all be holistic Mary Poppins, respecting parent’s birth plans, listening, toting essential oils, suggesting healthy foods, utilizing non-western medicine (such as crystals, implementing yoga, and incorporating meditation). You want the future family, that is both partners, to visualize a calmer future, where they are content with becoming someone’s parents. They should be echoing your positive affirmations, be totally trusting in your bond. All their fears dissipating, along with their distrust of the birth process. Being Black & Pregnant is Revolutionary Being a part of something you know, when going in, could very well result in your death is a revolutionary act. So when a person of color elects a system, or even more specific a provider, that doesn’t desire to treat them is immensely brave in and of itself. There is a sort of unspoken racism that is occurring before…

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