Expansive Midwifery Education Fundraiser
As I have had the opportunity to see and learn different midwifery styles in my short amount of time studying, I have noticed that my cultural understanding also increased. I have been working out a theory in my head for quite some time and truly believe that as black healthcare providers, specifically, midwives have a chance to expand their education beyond the classroom that will better equip them for diverse groups of families. It is important for me to learn from black midwives because I feel protected and understood as a student. I worked as a birth assistant in Utah, under a white midwife, and I hardly ever got to see any births. I was often called after the birth had happened and was asked to clean up. It was extremely hard to feel like I was gaining any experience and I often felt isolated. Learning from black birth workers eliminates that aspect for me, but finding such in my current environment is difficult. I hope that through this initiative, that can change for me and any black students that follow after me! I want to expand my education and gain a world view of midwifery as I couple it with my schooling. The goals with this would be to:
1. Allow me as a kinesthetic learner to couple my text and university structure with on the ground experience.
2. Gain a better understanding of cultural midwifery by finding preceptors and emerging myself in the culture, thus expanding my knowledge and understanding of different demographics.
3. Dissecting the systematic racism within the environments and how it contributes to the mortality rate of black and brown birthing people.
4. Interview and collect stories and experiences from these families to better expose the racism and hopefully come up with effective solutions.
5. Normalize out-of-hospital birth and midwifery
I currently feel so restricted in my learning space and feel like if I was able to do this and document it, that it could make a difference in my education and possibly provide an Avenue for other healthcare providers. I hope to provide on my virtual midwifery platform, naturopathic maternal advice to women seeking for another alternative. I want to share the healing, birth stories, and so much more. Through my educational experience, I hope to educate medical professionals (specifically upcoming OBs) about the importance of midwifery care and build more advocacy.
Financially, I am not in the position to execute something of this magnitude. I need the freedom to explore different constructs. There is so much that you have to think about as a black student. I was attending the University of Utah the financial burden became too much and I often had to pause my studies. As a black student coming from a single-parent home, I often have to work at least two jobs to keep up with my financial responsibilities. I often had to go without the proper school supplies because it wasn’t financially possible for me. When talking to some of my white peers, I realized that they had more time to study and dive into their major because a lot of their financial needs were taken care of.
As we see this world enter a beautiful transition and we learn to truly step up, hold space for black stories, and amplify black voices, I know that we will see a positive change in our communities. I am asking you for your financial support to make this dream possible. My Goal is $12,000. I know that with your help, I can reach this goal.
This is something that I want to continue after I graduate. I want to set up a system where black midwives and midwifery students have the opportunity to broaden their learning experience. I am excited about the journey ahead and can’t wait to see where this initiative takes me and so many after me!