Why Birth Justice?
The term birth justice encompasses any policy, practice, mindset, behavior, or ceremony found in community, institutional, spiritual, family, and/or other construct that positively impacts maternal health and well-being from pre-conception through postpartum, reduces exposure to adverse experiences, and/or fosters trauma healing. The BJC employed a unique, inclusive, and asset-based process to surface strategies that reflect the future that American Indian and African American people wish to live into through re-connection with cultural strengths and wisdom, while simultaneously addressing harms of past and current structural racism.
Hennepin County Commissioner Angela Conley speaks to how BJC supports the deep wisdom of cultural practices that center parents, families and their communities.
Birthing Through a Holistic Lens
Birth Sovereignty
Birthworker and relative Sophie Hunter describes the power of putting birth back in the hands of parents.
Angela Watts describes how the historically vital role of doulas and midwives was overtaken by Western medicine and how it is now beginning to reemerge.
The Erasure of Cultural Birth Workers
BJC’s Role as Community Gathering Catalyst
Tawny Hale shares that the BJC is fostering collaboration to restore and protect sacred, community-informed birthing spaces.
Birthwork is everyone’s work!
Will Moore describes birthwork.
“I am both rageful and hopeful. Hopeful that our work matters and enraged that such a commonsense approach to life giving practices has been sidelined and ignored due to supremacist thinking and injustice.”
- Rev. Dr. Alika Galloway, CEO, Liberty Northside Healing Space (BJC Partner)