207 Black Maternal Death Rates with Marsha Jones and the Afiya Center
It’s a new year, and I, for one, am glad 2018 is over! We are changing up the format of the show, going from a weekly show format to doing two shows monthly with quality guests and conversations. I’m also spending more time and attention in my painting endeavors, which bring me much joy, pleasure, and healing. Through all my roles as artist, coach, and mentor, I’m working hard to always stay aligned with my values, so I hope the show continues to be an authentic outlet for me that brings great value to you, the listener.
Marsha Jones is from the Afiya Center in Texas. Their work is centered around the experience for black women, especially in services for reproductive health. The center is a voice to advocate against harmful policies and legislation that keep these women at risk. Maternal mortality is a huge issue all around the world, and specifically in Texas, where maternal mortality has doubled in recent years! The Afiya Center provides outreach, education, and care to aid these women who have been largely ignored and passed over on the legislative front. Is it medical murder when their pain is ignored and they aren’t given appropriate care?
Music Credit: My good friend Lindsay Katt – https://lindsaykatt.bandcamp.com/track/stick-by-me
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Show Highlights:
The Afiya Center focuses on reproductive justice and access for black women in Texas, and the organization has its beginnings in the impact of HIV on black women
How the center’s work has evolved in the treatment of HIV and the entire experience of a woman’s right to have children
Understanding the scope of reproductive oppression and reproductive justice, which applies to many things in women’s lives
How Afiya helps with the stigma black women receive when they seek an abortion
Why maternal mortality rates are so high for black women in Texas; the bottom line is racism
How provider-biases stem from racism, when black women aren’t treated with the same level of care as other women
The spaces that are being created in the faith community for reproductive justice
The Texas Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Summit: #TXBlackWomenRiseUp, created in direct response to the state of black women’s reproductive health in Texas
How we can do better in sex education in our country
The Afiya Center’s mission to teach women about their bodies’ functions, birth control, pregnancy, and sexual health
The realization that women hold power over their reproductive health
The dangers of “abstinence only” sex ed programs:
More teen pregnancies
More unintended pregnancies
Generational poverty is extended
Increased STD’s
Increased maternal and infant mortality rates
Negative impact on the workforce, education, and every aspect of life
How you can help: retweet and repost from the Afiya Center, send monetary donations, volunteer, and participate in fundraisers like Bowl-a-thon and Karaoke-thon
Resources:
Follow them on Facebook: The Afiya Center
Instagram: @deliciousalex
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