In 1423, there was a huge uproar about the European slave trade and the controversy of race in the America’s. Long before Columbus sailed the “new” world, there were people who had been given the title of slave by the elite societies of Europe.
While many came before Columbus, it is important to look at what initiated this practice of plantation development and racism. It was more than just the economic impact of slavery in Europe. According to David Eltis, it wasn’t just the idea of slavery in Europe, yet the interpretation of the why that triggers many historians. Yet, as a Bio-Cultural Anthropology student and researcher, my question is, “Why slavery?” And why was there an interest in Indigenous and African people when Europe and Russia were already using a system that would have been more economical and would not have exploited Indigenous and African people in such a inhumane way. Read Europeans and the Rise and Fall of African Slavery in the Americas.
As the co-founder of The InTune Mother Society, I am eager to offer a different perspective of what reclamation work could look like for us, especially when it comes to unpacking the slave narrative of our community. So, when the idea of hosting a workshop for Black Maternal Health Week came to mind, I was led to use the date 14/23 for the price of participation and affirmation. I was also led by my ancestors and spirit guides to research slavery in 1423 for deeper alignment. What I found was very interesting and deserves much more attention and research to explore a wider lens of understanding and creating pathways to healing justice.
Without going too deep, I want to highlight why I am really sharing this blog post. This year’s #BMHW2023 theme rang out to me like a gong in my head. As an organizational leader and facilitator of TEK-based workforce innovation, the words sang to me through Healing Justice.
“Our Bodies Belong to Us: Restoring Black Autonomy and Joy!”
Our work prioritizes opportunities for community members and birth work providers in grassroots organizations and the institutions to take a moment and create space for healthy liberation and reclamation work that is attached to birth and climate justice.
In celebration of Black Maternal Health Week, we are uplifitng our Womanist view of the importance of the month of April. Did you know that it is also International Black Women’s History Month? I lead with this because this work is about uplifting a sustainable model of care in our community and we can’t do this without healing the wound of what slavery did to the spirit, mind, and body of the Black childbearing family. This is the real liberation.
"The freedom that we own, not the freedom we have to ask for." ~ RaShaunda Lugrand
Since April is International Black Women’s History Month, we are inviting every member of the birth work community to honor a Black Woman in their life and share in a moment of Healing Justice with us during our upcoming workshop. We would like to celebrate the names of the many Black Women that often go unrecognized but play a vital role in our lives as community-based providers and practitioners. It is healthy and healing to call on the names of those who have been and still are an inspiration to our work.
There are (3) ways to show up and contribute to our worshop celebration during Black Maternal Health Week.
Now, let’s get into how to participate:
1.) Contribute $14.23 to access your seat in our VIRTUAL wokrshop to honor yourself and uplift Healing Justice practices in birth work. To sign up, click here.
2.) Contribute $23.23 to access your seat in our VIRTUAL wokrshop to honor yourself and uplift Healing Justice practices in birth work and get a PDF workbook to download and deepen your overall experience. To sign up, click here.
3.) Contribute $33.33 to access your seat in our VIRTUAL workshop to honor yourself and uplift Healing Justice practices in birth work, and get a PDF workbook to download and deepen your overall experience, and access to the LIVE replay to watch over and over again… or if you are unable to make it. To sign up, click here.
RSVP WHEN YOU CONTRIBUTE and remember to use the email address that you check often so that you can make sure you get your PDF WORKBOOK and the ZOOM link to access the workshop.
TIMS is an interdisciplinary Afro-Indigenous Black Woman-led organization. It was established to foster growth, inclusion, and awareness of the interests of the Black childbearing community at large. Reach out to TIMS at news@timcenter.org
Community-Based Workforce Innovation Program 