“What does a post capitalist future look like?” ~ Renee HatcherIn our season finale, our brilliant guests share their experience and experiments in commerce and economy to answer this question. Tune in to learn more about:Worker cooperatives and the solidarity economySpirit led creative entrepreneurshipParticipatory budgetingDemocratically governed investment fundsTime banks We get into capitalism 101, the limitations of Black capitalism, the myth of meritocracy, redefining success, and the role of mutualism and cooperation in our collective liberation.Be sure to take our quick survey! And sign up for the upcoming Taja Tuesday Artist Talk on Tues 9/6 – the day after labor day! - to learn more about the love and labor that went into this podcast, and what’s on the horizon. Join the Patreon at the Creative Conversation level or above to access the live virtual event or the replay.ABOUT OUR GUESTSRenee Hatcher is a human rights and solidarity economy lawyer. She is an Assistant Professor of Law and the Director of the Community Enterprise and Solidarity Economy Law Clinic at UIC Law. Listen to her full interview on Patreon (running time: 01:21:45) Nia Evans is the Executive Director of the Boston Ujima Project.  Listen to her full interview on Patreon (running time: 01:29:58) Azua Echevarria is a scent alchemist who sells Spirit care products via her brand Age Into Beauty. Alongside Toni Johnson, she is the co-creator of Wild Woman Twin Flame and 2 Dope Rags. Support their GoFundMe campaign! Toni Johnson is a healing artist who founded Rework Creative in 2005 where she makes and sells an eclectic collection of jewelry and future relics. Listen to her full interview with Azua on Patreon (running time: 01:43:57) SUPPORT THE SHOW!Follow @BlackWomensLabor on InstagramSign up for our newsletterSupport our work on Patreon Make a one-time donation on PayPalPurchase the podcast music (and remix!)Visit www.BlackWomensLabor.com to learn more.  CREDITSCreator, Host and HBIC: Taja LindleyAudio Engineering by Lilah LarsonMusic by Emma Alabaster who also served as the Pre-Production Associate ProducerAdditional Music Production by Chip BeltonVocals by Patience SingsMixing and Mastering by Chip BeltonLyrics by Taja Lindley and Emma AlabasterLogo and Graphic Design Templates by Homegirl HQThis podcast is produced by Colored Girls Hustle and supported by the Economic Hardship Reporting ProjectSupport the show

We're continuing our conversation about domestic labor with a deep dive into the historical and current practice of organizing domestic workers for dignity and respect.Tune in to learn more about:the role of storytelling in building collective identitycommunity organizing strategies in and beyond legislated labor protectionsprofessionalizing the workforce through narratives and negotiationsthe politics of care workABOUT OUR GUESTSAllison Julien is the We Dream in Black Organizing Director for the National Domestic Worker’s Alliance.  Listen to her full interview on Patreon (running time: 01:41:59)Adela Seally is a professional nanny and childcare specialist, mother of seven, and a member of the National Domestic Workers Alliance - New York We Dream in Black Chapter.  Listen to her full interview on Patreon (running time: 00:59:38)Rose Gloria* is nanny who has worked with over 50 families in the last 15 years. Her identity and voice have been changed to protect her identity. Listen to her full interview on Patreon (running time: 02:26:08)Premilla Nadasen is a Professor of History at Barnard College, Columbia University and the author of “Household Workers Unite: The Untold Story of African American Women Who Built a Movement.” Listen to her full interview on Patreon (running time: 01:05:28)Nikki Brown-Booker is the Program Officer for the Disability Inclusion Fund at Borealis Philanthropy. She is a person with a disability who employs six domestic workers. Listen to her full interview on Patreon (running time: 00:56:24)Learn more about podcast guests here and read their full bios!SUPPORT THE SHOW!Follow @BlackWomensLabor on InstagramSign up for our newsletterSupport our work on Patreon Make a one-time donation on PayPalPurchase the podcast music (and remix!)Visit www.BlackWomensLabor.com to learn more.CREDITSCreator, Host and HBIC: Taja LindleyAudio Engineering by Lilah LarsonMusic by Emma Alabaster who also served as the Pre-Production Associate ProducerAdditional Music Production by Chip BeltonVocals by Patience SingsMixing and Mastering by Chip BeltonLyrics by Taja Lindley and Emma AlabasterLogo and Graphic Design Templates by Homegirl HQThis podcast is produced by Colored Girls Hustle and supported by the Economic Hardship Reporting ProjectSupport the show

Taking care of children, disabled folks, the elderly, and the home is important work, but it doesn’t always get the respect it deserves - whether it’s paid or unpaid labor.In this first part of a two-part series, we get an inside look into an occupation behind closed doors and in private homes - domestic work.Tune in to hear from 5 incredible guests about:Why and how people become domestic laborersThe dynamics of race, class, and gender that inform employer and employee relationshipsHow domestic workers create and negotiate contracts and boundariesThe disrespectful treatment and undignified labor conditions domestic workers have enduredHow their labor makes all other work possibleABOUT OUR GUESTSAllison Julien is the We Dream in Black Organizing Director for the National Domestic Worker’s Alliance.  Listen to her full interview on Patreon (running time: 01:41:59)Adela Seally is a professional nanny and childcare specialist, mother of seven, and a member of the National Domestic Workers Alliance - New York We Dream in Black Chapter.  Listen to her full interview on Patreon (running time: 00:59:38)Rose Gloria* is nanny who has worked with over 50 families in the last 15 years. Her identity and voice have been changed to protect her identity. Listen to her full interview on Patreon (running time: 02:26:08)Premilla Nadasen is a Professor of History at Barnard College, Columbia University and the author of “Household Workers Unite: The Untold Story of African American Women Who Built a Movement.” Listen to her full interview on Patreon (running time: 01:05:28)Nikki Brown-Booker is the Program Officer for the Disability Inclusion Fund at Borealis Philanthropy. She is a person with a disability who employs six domestic workers. Listen to her full interview on Patreon (running time: 00:56:24)Learn more about podcast guests here!SUPPORT THE SHOW!Follow @BlackWomensLabor on InstagramSign up for our newsletterSupport our work on Patreon Make a one-time donation on PayPalPurchase the podcast music (and remix!)Visit www.BlackWomensLabor.com to learn more.CREDITSCreator, Host and HBIC: Taja LindleyAudio Engineering by Lilah LarsonMusic by Emma Alabaster who also served as the Pre-Production Associate ProducerAdditional Music Production by Chip BeltonVocals by Patience SingsMixing and Mastering by Chip BeltonLyrics by Taja Lindley and Emma AlabasterLogo and Graphic Design Templates by Homegirl HQThis podcast is produced by Colored Girls Hustle and supported by the Economic Hardship Reporting ProjectSupport the show

Welfare reform in the 90’s and the recent pandemic may seem like radically different moments in history but they share a few things in common, namely back to work labor narratives that:are overly reliant on frameworks of personal responsibilityprioritize work over health and wellbeingperpetuate policies, practices, and beliefs that are racist, sexist, classist, and ableistTune in to hear from three brilliant guests sharing their stories and expertise on:the history and impact of welfare reform in the 90’snavigating return to work during the pandemicthe medicine and wisdom of disability justice in imagining new ways to work and liveABOUT OUR GUESTSSydnie Mosley is an artist-activist and educator who works with communities to organize for gender and racial justice through experiential dance performance with her dance-theater collective Sydnie L. Mosley Dances. She wrote an article in Dance Magazine entitled "I Have No Desire to Produce a Performance, Live or Livestreamed, Until the Pandemic Is Over. I’ll Wait." Listen to her full interview on Patreon (running time: 01:32:43)Diana Romero is an Associate Professor in the Department of Community Health and Social Sciences and director of the Maternal, Child, Reproductive and Sexual Health specialization (MCRSH) at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy in New York City. Listen to her full interview on Patreon (running time: 01:29:51)Nikki Brown-Booker is the Program Officer for the Disability Inclusion Fund at Borealis Philanthropy. As a person with a disability and a biracial woman, she has devoted her work to advancing rights at the intersection of disability justice and racial justice. Listen to her full interview on Patreon (running time: 00:56:24)Learn more about podcast guests here!SUPPORT THE SHOW!Follow @BlackWomensLabor on Instagram and turn on notifications!Sign up for our newsletterSupport our work on Patreon where you will have exclusive access to full-length interviews with each of our guests featured this season. Make a one-time donation on PayPalPurchase the podcast music (and remix!)Visit www.BlackWomensLabor.com to learn more.CREDITSCreator, Host and HBIC: Taja LindleyAudio Engineering by Lilah LarsonMusic by Emma Alabaster who also served as the Pre-Production Associate ProducerAdditional Music Production by Chip BeltonVocals by Patience SingsMixing and Mastering by Chip BeltonLyrics by Taja Lindley and Emma AlabasterLogo and Graphic Design Templates by Homegirl HQThis podcast is produced by Colored Girls Hustle and supported by the Economic Hardship Reporting ProjectSupport the show

Have you ever asked yourself: “why am I alive?”| “what is my calling?” | “what’s my next career move?” If so, this episode is for you!In this intergenerational podcast workshop, we discuss:Astrology 101 reviewing signs, elements, and modalitiesHow to tap into your personal astrology without knowing your birth time or locationThe houses to look to in your natal chart for a sense of your talents, gifts, resources, work style, purpose, and legacyExample chart readings of Black women artists and activists Tune in to learn more about your place among the stars! Also! check out our 37 page digital workbook designed to help you follow along and to integrate what you learn in the episode. This workbook includes: 22 worksheets to help you decode your cosmic blueprint10 cheat sheets of correspondences, rulerships, and keywordsPlus! Relevant bonus info  we didn’t have time to cover in the episode!Join the Patreon at the Creative Foundation level or above to access the workbook!ABOUT OUR GUESTSderia (they/she/we) is a revolutionary lover looking to the stars and the soil for guidance in this lifetime. she has creative works published at Nightboat Blog, Spicy Zine, Felt Mag, Black Youth Project, and Desert Rose Magazine. you can email her at deria [dot] em [at] gmail [dot] com to connect. Listen to her full interview on Patreon (running time: 01:32:43)Deborah Singletary has served as an astrological consultant for 40 years. She loves teaching astrology, giving personal consultations as well as utilizing her passion for art in her work as an interfaith minister to create workshops to help people to pierce the veil separating them from their true selves. She founded Vision Carriers in 1986 as a way of organizing her life missions and purposes. Listen to her full interview on Patreon (running time: 01:50:35) SUPPORT THE SHOWFollow @BlackWomensLabor on InstagramSign up for our newsletterSupport our work on PatreonMake a one-time donation on PayPalPurchase the podcast music (and remix)Visit www.BlackWomensLabor.com to learn more. CREDITCreator, Host and HBIC: Taja LindleyAudio Engineering by Lilah LarsonMusic by Emma Alabaster who also served as the Pre-Production Associate ProducerAdditional Music Production by Chip BeltonVocals by Patience SingsMixing and Mastering by Chip BeltonLyrics by Taja Lindley and Emma AlabasterLogo and Graphic Design Templates by Homegirl HQThis podcast is produced by Colored Girls Hustle and supported by theEconomic Hardship Reporting ProjectSupport the show

“We are in the business of putting ourselves out of business.” Nico Le BlancIn our first - and only! - panel discussion of the season, Taja Lindley facilitates a conversation with 3 diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practitioners with 40+ years of experience between them. Tune in to hear:What DEI work looks like in institutional settings to support racial equity and social movements.How they determine who they will (not) work with and why.The frameworks that guide their practice (i.e. critical race theory, radical Black feminism, etc.)The ways race and gender impact how their work gets done.What it’s like to hold space for anti-racism while Black.Who is responsible for doing this work? And who should (not) be doing this work?PANELISTSMegan Pamela Ruth Madison is a facilitator and author based in NYC  (unceded land of the Lenape people). As she wraps up her doctoral studies, she works part-time as a trainer for the Center for Racial Justice in Education, the New York Early Childhood Professional Development Institute, and Bank Street's Center on Culture, Race & Equity.  Megan is co-author of First Conversations, a critically acclaimed series of books for young children on race, gender, consent, and bodies. Nico Le Blanc is a passionate Black, Queer, Non-Binary BEing who currently serves as Associate Director for Diversity & Inclusion at NYU and as a yoga and meditation instructor, counselor, and advocate focused on creating positive, safe, and empowering spaces that facilitate vulnerability, and healing. They are committed to the upliftment, self-care, health, vitality, and liberation of ALL Black BEings. Zerandrian Morris (aka ‘The Ignant Intellectual’) is a capital 'B' Black non-binary transmasculine girl-identified person born & raised in the Hollygrove neighborhood of New Orleans currently living in DC. Zerandrian is a 2001 graduate of THE Spelman College. Zerandrian is a social impact strategist who creates paradigm-shifting experiences for companies, institutions, organizations, and individuals around topics like anti-racism, anti-Blackness, and racial equity. SUPPORT THE SHOWFollow @BlackWomensLabor on Instagram and turn on notifications!Sign up for our newsletter!Support our work on Patreon where you will have exclusive access to full length interviews with each of our guests featured this season. Make a one-time donation on PayPal. Purchase the podcast music (and remix!). All sales go towards the production of the podcast and support with project expenses.Visit www.BlackWomensLabor.com to learn more.CREDITSCreator, Host and HBIC: Taja LindleyAudio Engineering by Lilah LarsonMusic by Emma Alabaster who also served as the Pre-Production Associate ProducerAdditional Music Production by Chip BeltonVocals by Patience SingsMixing and Mastering by Chip BeltonLyrics by Taja Lindley and Emma AlabasterLogo and Graphic Design Templates by Homegirl HQThis podcast is produced by Colored Girls Hustle Support the show

Is a diverse healthcare workforce enough to eradicate racism in medicine?The short is no. Using race to remedy racism is not enough. And let's talk about why with four Black providers in reproductive health: an OBGYN, a nurse midwife, a traditional midwife, and a midwifery student.Tune in to hear the benefits of adding more Black folks to the healthcare workforce, as well as how this diversity-based approach is an incomplete strategy to remedy health inequity, including:The ways racism is embedded into healthcare education, training, tools and systemsHow harm can be reproduced in medical settings regardless of the race of the provider How Black folks can have poor experiences with Black providersAlternative and additional strategies to ensure better health experiences and outcomes for Black pregnant and birthing peopleGUESTSCamille A. Clare, MD, MPH, CPE, FACOG is a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist and was recently appointed as Chair and Professor at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of  SUNY-Downstate Health Sciences University College of Medicine and School of Public Health. Full interview on Patreon (00:57:15)Efe Osaren has been a doula since 2014 and is currently completing her midwifery education. She has served over 200 families and is crowdfunding  to help pay for her license and board exam. Efe is also a reproductive justice advocate and is the Founder of Doula Chronicles. Full interview on Patreon (01:16:10)Nubia Earth Martin is a Community Birth Worker, Traditional Midwife, and Founder/President of Birth from The Earth Inc., a non-profit organization steeped in education and empowerment, providing a variety of health and wellness services. Full interview on Patreon (01:10:23)Melissa Thomas* is a Black nurse midwife working in a major metropolitan area who has attended over 350 births in her career spanning over a decade in primarily hospital settings. She came on the podcast anonymously and her name has been changed to protect her identity. Full interview on Patreon (01:03:47)SUPPORT!Follow @BlackWomensLabor on Instagram and turn on notifications!Sign up for our newsletter!Support our work on Patreon where you will have exclusive access to full length interviews with each of our guests featured this season. Make a one-time donation on PayPal. Purchase the podcast music (and remix!). All sales go towards the production of the podcast and support with project expenses.Visit www.BlackWomensLabor.com to learn more and to access the studies Dr. Clare referenced in the episode.CREDITSCreator, Host and HBIC: Taja LindleyAudio Engineering by Lilah LarsonMusic by Emma Alabaster who also served as the Pre-Production Associate ProducerAdditional Music Production by Chip BeltonVocals by Patience SingsMixing and Mastering by Chip BeltonLyrics by Taja Lindley and Emma AlabasterLogo and Graphic Design Templates by Homegirl HQThis podcast is produced by Colored Girls Hustle Support the show

Part Two: The Old Fashion Gay WayAre you curious about how to get pregnant when queer?“Don't use a turkey baster!” Olivia FordOlivia started her path to parenthood before being partnered. After her intuition told her it was time to pursue pregnancy, she popped the question to her gay guy friend: how would you like to make a baby with me? After 10 unsuccessful tries, she and her boo (now wife) purchased semen during a BOGO sale at a sperm bank and got pregnant with the second vial. Tune in to hear Olivia's nine year journey to Black queer motherhood including:intracervical and intrauterine insemination pursuing pregnancy with a known donor who is living with HIVdating while trying to get pregnantthe limitations and possibilities of the fertility industry for Black people and queer folksDuring the interview, Olivia mentions this piece from Linda Villarosa in The New York Times Magazine entitled: "Why America’s Black Mothers and Babies Are in a Life-or-Death Crisis"This episode is the second part of a two-part series featuring birth stories that relied on assisted reproductive technologies and it has been edited for clarity and length. To listen to the full interview, visit Patreon.com/TajaLindley.Olivia Ford (she/her; they/their) has been engaged with HIV-related media since 2007. She is the editorial director for The Well Project, an online information, support, and advocacy resource serving a global audience of women living with HIV. She trained as a doula in 2004 and serves as a perinatal health advocate with Birthmark Doula Collective, a birth justice organization supporting pregnant and parenting people and their families in the New Orleans, Louisiana area. Olivia and her wife are the dazzled, exhausted co-mamas of a smart-mouthed toddler, Orian (pronounced like “Dorian” without the “D”).Her full interview is available on Patreon (running time: 02:26:18)Support the Show!Follow @BlackWomensLabor on Instagram and turn on notifications!Sign up for our newsletter!Support our work on Patreon where you will have exclusive access to full length interviews with each of our guests featured this season. Make a one-time donation on PayPal. Purchase the podcast music. All sales go towards the production of the podcast and support with project expenses.Visit www.BlackWomensLabor.com to learn more.CreditsCreator, Host and HBIC: Taja LindleyAudio Engineering by Lilah LarsonMusic by Emma Alabaster who also served as the Pre-Production Associate ProducerAdditional Music Production by Chip BeltonVocals by Patience SingsMixing and Mastering by Chip BeltonLyrics by Taja Lindley and Emma AlabasterLogo and Graphic Design Templates by Homegirl HQThis podcast is produced by Colored Girls Hustle Support the show

Part One: The Ol’ Mama Gang“I saw my daughter for the first time in a vision while I was meditating.” LeConté DillAfter Dr. LeConté Dill’s vision in 2014, she met her husband, had an epic first date, eloped, and began her journey to motherhood. She soon discovered she would need some support to get pregnant, namely A.R.T.s - or assisted reproductive technologies. She leaned on in-vitro fertilization (IVF) to conceive the baby of her literal dreams and gave birth in her early 40’s right before the lockdowns in NYC Spring 2020.Tune in to hear how this crunk public health scholar:created sacred ceremony and rituals to support her processmoved through the grief of miscarriage with poetryaddressed disrespectful medical treatmentreceived bomb-ass support from her mom, hubby, and doulas (Dana Ain-Davis - author of Reproductive Injustice - and Katy Cecen) during her pregnancy, labor, and immediate postpartumThis interview has been edited for clarity and length. To listen to the full interview, visit Patreon.com/TajaLindley.Dr. LeConté Dill is a scholar, educator, and a poet in and out of classroom and community spaces from South Central Los Angeles, California. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of African American and African Studies at Michigan State University. She listens to and shows up for urban Black girls and other youth of color and works to rigorously document their experiences of safety, resilience, resistance, and wellness. Her work has been published in Poetry Magazine, Mom Egg Review, Journal of Poetry Therapy, and The Feminist Wire. Her full interview is available on Patreon (running time: 01:31:06).Learn more about podcast guests here!Support the Show!Follow @BlackWomensLabor on Instagram and turn on notifications!Sign up for our newsletter!Support our work on Patreon where you will have exclusive access to full length interviews with each of our guests featured this season. Make a one-time donation on PayPal. Purchase the podcast music (and remix!). All sales go towards the production of the podcast and support with project expenses.Visit www.BlackWomensLabor.com to learn more.CreditsCreator, Host and HBIC: Taja LindleyAudio Engineering by Lilah LarsonMusic by Emma Alabaster who also served as the Pre-Production Associate ProducerAdditional Music Production by Chip BeltonVocals by Patience SingsMixing and Mastering by Chip BeltonLyrics by Taja Lindley and Emma AlabasterLogo and Graphic Design Templates by Homegirl HQThis podcast is produced by Colored Girls Hustle Support the show

A Select History of Race, Labor, & Reproduction in the U.S.“Black women are at the heart of the history of the Atlantic world.”  Jennifer MorganWhat does it mean to be gendered as laborers? Both physiologically and economically? How has that served colonial and U.S. economic interests? And how has the U.S. responded when Black women’s labor and reproduction no longer served racial capitalism?Tune in to time travel with us: your host, Taja Lindley, and our guests - Jennifer Morgan and Dorothy Roberts - as we discuss historical evidence and insight into these questions.Be sure to support this work at Patreon.com/TajaLindley where you will be able to access exclusive content (including the upcoming Taja Tuesday Artist Talk) and full length interviews. Jennifer L. Morgan is Professor of History in the department of Social and Cultural Analysis at New York University where she also serves as Chair.  She is the author of Reckoning with Slavery: Gender, Kinship and Capitalism in the Early Black Atlantic (Duke University Press, 2021, enter E21MORGN for a discount!); Laboring Women: Gender and Reproduction in the Making of New World Slavery (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2004) and the co-editor of Connexions: Histories of Race and Sex in America (University of Illinois Press, 2016). Her research examines the intersections of gender and race in the Black Atlantic. Dorothy Roberts is the George A. Weiss University Professor of Law & Sociology at the University of Pennsylvania, with joint appointments in Africana Studies, Sociology, and the Law School, where she is the Raymond Pace and Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander Professor of Civil Rights. An acclaimed scholar and social justice activist, she is author of Killing the Black Body; Shattered Bonds: The Color of Child Welfare; Fatal Invention: How Science, Politics, and Big Business Re-create Race in the Twenty-First Century; and Torn Apart: How the Child Welfare System Destroys Black Families—And How Abolition Can Build a Safer World.Learn more about podcast guests here!Support the Show!Follow @BlackWomensLabor on Instagram and turn on notifications!Sign up for our newsletter!Support our work on Patreon where you will have exclusive access to full length interviews with each of our guests featured this season. Make a one-time donation on PayPal. Purchase the podcast music (and remix!). All sales go towards the production of the podcast and support with project expenses.Visit www.BlackWomensLabor.com to learn more.CREDITSCreator, Host and HBIC of the Support the show

Welcome to the Black Women's Dept. of Labor - a project and podcast by Taja Lindley about race, gender, and the double entendre of labor: to work and to give birth.The first episode premieres Wednesday April 13th, 2022 during Black Maternal Health week! Tune in every other Wednesday for dynamic stories, conversations and analysis. Visit www.BlackWomensLabor.com to learn more.Follow @BlackWomensLabor on Instagram!Sign up for our newsletter!And support our work on Patreon where you will have exclusive access to full length interviews with each of our guests featured this season.CreditsCreator, Host and HBIC: Taja LindleyAudio Engineering by Lilah LarsonMusic by Emma Alabaster who also served as the Pre-Production Associate ProducerAdditional Music Production by Chip BeltonVocals by Patience SingsMixing and Mastering by Chip BeltonLyrics by Taja Lindley and Emma AlabasterLogo and Graphic Design Templates by Homegirl HQThis podcast is produced by Colored Girls Hustle Support the show

It's been a minute! The Birth Justice Podcast NYC team has been deep in process for the last year to bring you season 2 in 2022! But before we jump into a new season, it felt important to revisit and review some of the wisdom and insight from season one. Tune in to take a trip down memory lane and hear highlights from our esteemed guests as well as updates about the podcast.Also: this podcast will be getting a new name! Stay tuned for details and be sure to support this work on Patreon.com/TajaLindley!Hosted and Created by Taja LindleyProduced by Colored Girls HustleMusic, Soundscape and Audio Engineering by Emma AlabasterSupport the show

Season 1 Episode 12 is the season finale and features an interview with Evelyn Alvarez: mom, doula, trainer, and the world’s best hypewoman! She’s also the cofounder of Bronx Rebirth and Progress Collective. In this week’s episode Evelyn shares the tales and the tea of being a doula in NYC. She also shares insights on the politics of doula compensation, what is happening in NYC hospitals, how medical routines cause harm, and how our City can do a better job of increasing doula access to clients who want and need them.Announcements:Help us grow and strengthen the podcast by filling out our listener survey!Share your story on the Birth Justice Podcast NYC! Fill out this form and we’ll be in touch to learn more about you and your experience(s).Evelyn Alvarez’s Bio:Evelyn Alvarez facilitates workshops for educators and parents about Restorative Justice and practices, race and equity, and other topics. She is also founder of Prom King, a nonprofit that donates clothes to urban students to enable them to participate in special life events. She is one of three lead trainers at Radio Caña Negra, where they lead workshops about anti-Blackness in the Latinx community and co-host the Radio Caña Negra podcast. Most recently she is a co-founder of Bronx Rebirth and Progress. This collective donates diapers and formula to families in need. Bx Rebirth offers low cost doula support, mentoring to new doulas, and supports advocacy efforts that seek to improve maternal health outcomes for Black people in New York.References During the Episode:Donate to Bx (Re)Birth and Progress Collective via PayPal and through their registry on TargetFollow Evelyn and Bx (Re)Birth and Progress on InstagramQuestions to Consider After the Episode:How might medical practices and policies, as well as health outcomes, change if we center the experiences of Black women and Black birthing people?What are the ways that routines can cause harm?What have medical institutions and policymakers named as values that could use more/additional resources?Created and Hosted by Taja LindleyProduced by Colored Girls HustleMusic, Soundscape and Audio Engineering by Emma AlabasterSupport our work on Patreon or make a one-time payment via PayPalFor more information visit BirthJustice.nyc This podcast is made possible, in part, by the Narrative Power Stipend - a grant funded by Forward Together for members of Echoing Ida.Support the show

Season 1 Episode 11 features an interview with Nathalia Gibbs and Dana Kurzer-Yashin from the National Harm Reduction Coalition. In this week’s episode we dive into a harm reduction 101 crash course where we get into the definition, history and current landscape of harm reduction policies and practices. We then apply this information to better understand how pregnant people who use drugs are navigating prenatal care, childbirth, and the child welfare system; and how New York City and State can better support people who use drugs. This episode is a follow up to Season 1 Episode 10 where we discussed how the war on drugs fuels the child welfare system’s presence in the lives of pregnant and parenting New Yorkers.About this week’s guests:Nathalia Gibbs (They/She) is a queer black doula, organizer and passionate believer in harm reduction serving as LGBTQ and Harm Reduction Coordinator where she is currently working on building the Lighthouse Learning Collective.Dana Kurzer-Yashin (she/her) is the Overdose and Harm Reduction Trainer developing and administering trainings on  harm reduction, safer drug use, trauma informed care and de-escalation and more. National Harm Reduction Coalition is a national advocacy and capacity-building organization that promotes the wellbeing and dignity of people and communities affected by drug use. Their efforts advance harm reduction policies, practices, and programs that address the adverse effects of drug use including overdose, HIV, hepatitis C, addiction, and incarceration. Recognizing that social inequality and injustice magnify drug related harm and limit the voice of our most vulnerable communities, they work to uphold every individual’s right to health and their competence to participate in the public policy dialogue.References During the Episode:Pregnancy and Substance: A Harm Reduction ToolkitThe National Harm Reduction Coalition’s podcast The Gold StandardMore info about Dr. Miska TerplanOrgs: Voices of Community Activists and Leaders (VOCAL-NY)National Advocates for Pregnant Women (NAPW)AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power ACT UPLower East Side Harm Reduction CenterCreated and Hosted by Taja LindleyProduced by Colored Girls HustleMusic, Soundscape and Audio Engineering by Emma AlabasterSupport our work on Patreon or make a one-time payment via PayPalFor more information visit BirthJustice.nyc This podcast is made possible, in part, by the Narrative Power Stipend - a grant funded by Forward Together for members of Echoing Ida.Support the show

Season 1 Episode 10 features an interview with Erin Miles Cloud: a lawyer and a mother, as well as the Co-Director and Co-Founder of Movement for Family Power. In this week’s episode we do a deep dive into the womb to foster care pipeline and the ways in which hospitals and social workers are complicit in criminalizing poor parents and people who use drugs. We get into the relationship between the police department and child welfare services, and how the child welfare system incentivizes the separation of families.Announcement:Share your story on the Birth Justice Podcast NYC! Fill out this form and we’ll be in touch to learn more about you and your experience(s).Erin Miles Cloud’s Bio:Erin Miles Cloud is the co-director/co-founder of Movement for Family Power, and a former family defense public defender. She is  Baltimore born, and Bronx living.  She is Black mother of two beautiful children. References During the Episode:Movement for Family Power’s Ground Zero ReportFollow Movement for Family Power on Facebook, Twitter and InstagramBBC documentary “Guinea Pig Kids: ARV Babies in New York City”Questions to Consider After the Episode:How can we better support pregnant people and parents who are poor? Who use drugs and substances? When we consider abolition of police, we need to also consider all of the ways that police are embedded in social welfare programs. And how social welfare programs mimic the values and behaviors of police. Created and Hosted by Taja LindleyProduced by Colored Girls HustleMusic, Soundscape and Audio Engineering by Emma AlabasterSupport our work on Patreon or make a one-time payment via PayPalFor more information visit BirthJustice.nyc This podcast is made possible, in part, by the Narrative Power Stipend - a grant funded by Forward Together for members of Echoing Ida.Support the show

Season 1 Episode 9 features an interview with Nicole Jean Baptiste: a mother of two, a full spectrum community based doula, lactation counselor, yoga instructor, and oral historian. In this week’s episode we discuss Nicole’s journey into birthwork (which includes a bit about her own birth story) as well as the birth injustice she has witnessed in New York City as a doula and as an advocate. We also dive into doula work: from the importance of compensating doulas to valuing doulas as autonomous birthworkers. Nicole offers some sound suggestions and advice for what our City can do to better serve pregnant and parenting people, and folks of reproductive age.Nicole Jean Baptiste’s Bio:Of Southern American and Caribbean ancestry and based in the Bronx, New York, Nicole Jean Baptiste strives to center the borough and the Black experience in the birth and social justice activism in which she engages. Nicole is currently a Community Doula Consultant for the New York City Health Department’s COVID-19 Perinatal Taskforce. She is the founder of Sésé Doula Services and co-founder of the Bx (Re)Birth and Progress Collective. References During the Episode:Donate to Bx (Re)Birth and Progress Collective via PayPal and through their registry on TargetFollow Nicole and Bx (Re)Birth and Progress on InstagramBirth Centers in NYC: Brooklyn Birthing Center, Jazz Birthing Center (sister center of the Brooklyn Birthing Center), and the Birthing Center of New YorkTo learn more about Amber Rose Isaac and her death, you can read this article in The GuardianQuestions to Consider After the Episode:How can our City make doulas more accessible to people who want them and need them? How can healthcare institutions and healthcare providers follow the lead of their patients and clients?Created and Hosted by Taja LindleyProduced by Colored Girls HustleMusic, Soundscape and Audio Engineering by Emma AlabasterSupport our work on Patreon or make a one-time payment via PayPalFor more information visit BirthJustice.nyc This podcast is made possible, in part, by the Narrative Power Stipend - a grant funded by Forward Together for members of Echoing Ida.Support the show

Season 1 Episode 8 features an interview with Natasha Johnson: activist, artist, advocate, academic, attorney, yoga instructor and the founder of Globalizing Gender. In this week’s episode we discuss female genital mutilation and cutting - what it is, why and how it happens, how it impacts sexual and reproductive health (including pregnancy and childbirth), and how it shows up in New York City.Natasha Johnson’s Bio:Natasha has been an educator for 21 years and an attorney for 15 years. In 2015 she founded Globalizing Gender (GG) where she educates, prevents, and reforms Gender-Based Violence (GBV) through capacity building, rule of law, governance, and awareness. Natasha organized NYC’s inaugural march to end FGM/C in the United States and is currently co-authoring NYC’s first holistic FGM/C legislation. As an artist she curates public forums and creates editorial-styled work that critiques and raises awareness of GBV. Natasha earned her Juris Doctorate from CUNY School of Law, her yoga certification from Breathe for Change, and her Bachelor’s Degree from Columbia University. References During the Episode:TedX Talk: What to Expect When Feminism Starts at FiveThe New York Coalition to End Female Genital MutilationQuestions to Consider After the Episode:Let's continue to investigate the many ways that people navigate and experience their health. What are other practices - whether they be cultural, religious, or personal - that impact how people experience their sexual and reproductive health?Let's consider the many ways that law enforcement permeates our society - especially social services. How do we ensure that folks who experience gender based violence are taken care of when/if we abolish police?Created and Hosted by Taja LindleyProduced by Colored Girls HustleMusic, Soundscape and Audio Engineering by Emma AlabasterSupport our work on Patreon or make a one-time payment via PayPalFor more information visit BirthJustice.nyc This podcast is made possible, in part, by the Narrative Power Stipend - a grant funded by Forward Together for members of Echoing Ida.Support the show

Season 1 Episode 7 features an interview with Dr. Lynn Roberts: a mother, grandmother, professor, and scholar activist. In this week’s episode we discuss some historical moments of reproductive justice organizing and advocacy in New York City from the nineties and early 2000’s as well as the intersections of public health and reproductive justice in Lynn’s career and beyond.Lynn Roberts’ Bio:Dr. Lynn Roberts earned a Bachelor in Science in human development from Howard University (1984) and a PhD in Human Services Studies from Cornell University (1991). She is the Associate Dean of Student Affairs & Alumni Relations and a tenured faculty member in the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy. Prior to CUNY, she oversaw the development, implementation and evaluation of several programs for women and youth in NYC. She is an emeritus board member of the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective and co-edited the anthology, Radical Reproductive Justice: Foundations, Theory, Practice, Critique.References During the Episode:[book] Reproductive Justice: An Introduction by Loretta Ross and Ricki Solinger[book] Killing the Black Body by Dorothy Roberts[book] Reproductive Injustice by Dana Ain Davis[book] Policing the Womb by Michele GoodwinCritical Race Theorists and Scholars: Kimberle’ Crenshaw, Chandra FordQuestions to Consider After the Episode:What are the frameworks and theories that guide your work? And how can those frameworks and theories influence (and be influenced by) your activism?Created and Hosted by Taja LindleyProduced by Colored Girls HustleMusic, Soundscape and Audio Engineering by Emma AlabasterSupport our work on Patreon or make a one-time payment via PayPalFor more information visit BirthJustice.nyc This podcast is made possible, in part, by the Narrative Power Stipend - a grant funded by Forward Together for members of Echoing Ida.Support the show

Season 1 Episode 6 features an interview with Elizabeth Estrada ( commonly known as Eli) - a Mexican immigrant organizer based in the Bronx working on reproductive justice in New York City and State. In this episode we discuss fake clinics, also known as crisis pregnancy centers.We do a deep dive into how fake clinics are intentionally confusing and coercing people to give birth by creating barriers and detours, as well as providing misinformation to people who are looking to learn about and access abortion. Elizabeth Estrada Bio:Elizabeth Estrada serves as the New York Field and Advocacy Manager at the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice. Previously, she served as the Civic Engagement Manager where she worked to raise the voices of Latinas nationally for policy change at all levels of government on issues that impact people's reproductive freedom and self-determination. Elizabeth immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico at the age of 4, where she remained undocumented until age 13. She began as a Sexual and Reproductive Health “Promotora” for the Feminist Women’s Health Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Elizabeth has had the honor of organizing hundreds of women on reproductive justice in her 10 years of grassroots organizing experience.References During the Episode:Reach out to Eli to get involved in the fight against fake clinics in The Bronx and throughout NY State email: newyork@latinainstitute.orgPro Truth New York: a coalition of reproductive health, rights, and justice advocates, policy makers, and service providers, united to fight fake abortion clinicsExpose Fake Clinics: a national initiative created to tell the truth about manipulative, fake reproductive health centersAdvocates for Youth: where Eli first shared her abortion story via their 1in3 campaign.Yo Te Apoyo: a campaign from Latina Institute to destigmatize abortion, and shift the culture to one of compassion and dignity.Renee Bracey Sherman: award winning reproductive justice activist and writer with expertise in public abortion storytelling and ending abortion stigmaLifting Latina Voices Initiative at the Feminist Women's Health Center in Atlanta, GALegislation for a research board to measure impact of fake clinics: NYS Assembly passed the LSPC Study Bill (A.8212) on 7/21. It authorizes the Commissioner of Health to conduct a study and issue a report examining the unmet health and resource needs facing pregnant women in New York and the impact of limited service pregnancy centersCreated and Hosted by Taja LindleyProduced by Colored Girls HustleMusic, Soundscape and Audio Engineering by Emma AlabasterSupport our work on Patreon or make a one-time payment via PayPalFor more information visit BirthJustice.nyc This podcast is made possible, in part, by the Narrative Power Stipend - a grant funded by Forward Together for members of Echoing Ida.Support the show

Season 1 Episode 5 features an interview with Carmen Mojica. We discuss her journey into birthwork and motherhood, the history and current practice of midwifery, and what it will take to achieve birth justice in the Bronx and in New York City. Carmen Mojica Bio:Carmen Mojica CPM, LM CLC is an Afro-Dominicana born and raised in the Bronx. She is a midwife, mother, writer and reproductive health activist. The focus of her work is on the empowerment of women and people of the African Diaspora, specifically discussing the Afro-Latina identity. She utilizes her experience as a midwife to raise awareness on maternal and infant health for women, highlighting the disparities in the healthcare system in the United States for women of color. She is a cofounder of Bronx Rebirth and Progress.References During the Episode:Donate to Bronx Rebirth and Progress via PayPal and through their registry on TargetPregnancy and Postpartum in the time of COVID-19: NYC Resources[Book] Birthing Justice: Black Women, Pregnancy and Childbirth edited by Julia Oparah and Alicia Bonaparte[Book] Killing the Black Body by Dorothy Roberts[Book] Medical Apartheid by Harriet Washington[Book] Born in the USA: How a Broken Maternity System Must Be Fixed to Put Women and Children First by Marsden WagnerTypes of midwives: Certified Midwife, Certified Nurse Midwife, Certified Professional Midwife, Certifying institutions: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM)Robert Woods Johnson Foundation’s County Health Rankings and Road MapsQuestions to Consider After the Episode:How can we make midwifery more accessible in our City, namely Certified Nurse Midwives? What are ways our City can provide resources for people to give birth outside of hospitals? This can be in people’s homes and in birthing centers.How can we shift conversations that focus solely on maternal mortality to take a look at the broad scope of how maternal healthcare is not serving the needs of pregnant and birthing people overall?Created and Hosted by Taja LindleyProduced by Colored Girls HustleMusic, Soundscape and Audio Engineering by Emma AlabasterSupport our work on Patreon or make a one-time payment via PayPalFor more information visit BirthJustice.nyc This podcast is made possible, in part, by the Narrative Power Stipend - a grant funded by Forward Together for members of Echoing Ida.Support the show