WHAT HAPPENED:
Yesterday during a session at the Texas Birth Network “Birth Roundup” registered nurse Tasha Portley asked Ina May Gaskin about the impact of racism on the births of Black women. https://www.facebook.com/tasha.portley/posts/1448318131887173?pnref=story.
Gaskin responded with anecdotal stories about Black women who lost their lives as a result of provider negligence, and blamed the Black women for not being more informed of their life-threatening symptoms. Moreover, Gaskin stated that “drug overdose” and the use of illegal drugs was the cause of the massive amount of Black maternal death rates. She also mentioned that communities “don’t pray as much as we used to” as a reason contributing to maternal death rates.
The FACTS:
Black women die at a higher rate than any other group of women from preventable birth complications. Black women continue to be refused quality and safe care due to educators and leaders like Ina May Gaskin. Ina May Gaskin represent the ways in which white supremacy and anti-Black racism continues to harm the safety and wellbeing of Black women who are in need of quality maternal healthcare.
The white supremacist and anti-Black narrative perpetuated by Ina May Gaskin and those who ascribe to her teachings are the very narratives that LITERALLY cost Black women their safety and lives.
Our DEMANDS:
Community
- Immediately acknowledge how harmful Ina May Gaskin is to the birth community. Publicly denounce Ina May Gaskin and those who support her racist ideology.
- Refuse to attend/participate in events that feature Ina May Gaskin. Gaskin is being paid to teach a narrative that is violent to Black women and people of color.
- Apply pressure to organizations who continue to support Ina May Gaskin and those who support her racist ideology.
- Publicly commit to funding the work of Black women in the birth community.
- Create a plan of accountability that includes anti-racist training for your chapters.
ICAN
- Establish a scholarship fund to increase the presence of Black midwives and Doulas within the network.
- Form accountability group of women of color to oversee ICAN board process.
- Create process for anti-racist training with community accountability.
Texas Birth Network
- Present a clear plan for addressing and improving health outcomes for socio-economically disadvantaged people of color.
- Present a plan for anti-racist training
- Create a fund for Black doulas.
We DEMAND that ICAN, TBN, and the birth community TRUST BLACK WOMEN and build better births for ALL of us.
-Tasha Portley, R.N, M.S.N, C.C.M, C.P.ST
-Erricka Bailey, CD
-Jasmine Banks, L.A.C
Updates
April 25, 2017
We hit one hundred signatures today. It is exhausting to see how many people have seen or experienced this racism, but I am not walking away from this fight.
Reached 1,000 supporters
April 24, 2017
Reached 100 supporters
April 23, 2017
April 22, 2017
The uphill battle against these harmful narratives is exhausting but we are nearing the one thousand mark. I need you to push this forward right now because the people in power are watching these numbers closely. We have to keep this momentum moving before they look away.
228 Comments
I am a white birth/postpartum doula and I am embarrassed that these are the attitudes shaping the popular culture's view of birthing in America. We need intersectional birthwork with the same urgency we need intersectional feminism.
As a white midwife serving an overwhelmingly white clientele, I want to be more sensitive to topics like this, I want to know more, grow, and be held accountable for any racism in me. I am committing to the community demands.
I'm so disappointed. I had admired Ina May for her work for women's reproductive health and autonomy, but I want no part of any activism that sidelines the needs of women of color like this. Our black sisters deserve better than white feminism in birth work.
This is not the first time I've heard this. I also believe that the historical black women who were really the original community midwives deserve recognition. Ina benefitted from white privilege at the start of her career and continues to do so. Her latest comments disgust me.
Just as women's symptoms have historically been ignored and downplayed (with deadly results), so too have black womens needs been dismissed. Their wellbeing matters. Their black babies matter. Shame on Ina May Gaskin.
Good luck, Hope you Remember the Racist Joe Biden’s famous quote "If you have a problem figuring out whether you're for me or Trump, then you Ain't Black," translation, If You Don’t Vote for Me, ‘You Ain’t Black’, So you “ain’t” black if you vote for Trump? That’s embarrassing and a slap in the face to any black voter, that said, All Black Americans should also wake up and challenge the ill-educated anti-American BLM to explain HOW looting and rioting, arson attacks on private businesses , rampant violence and lawlessness protesting, stomping and burning the U.S.A. flag, vandalizing and toppling Civil War statues and monuments, there by Erasing the History of the Pro-slavery, Spread Hating, and currently the True Racist Democratic Party which was Proudly Known Historically as The Slaveholding Confederate States of America, stop blacks from murdering each other in record numbers every weekend in Democrat-run cities and states ONLY? Why does BLM believe black lives ONLY matter when they are harmed or killed by a white person, especially a white cop and not by black hoodlum? (Think) Where are the multitude of protesters, mourners, and televised funeral services from BLM for the deaths of Black men, women, children, and cops killed by black thugs across America's major cities? The truth is BLM does not care about black people killing other black people, because it does nothing to advance its political power agenda and they know more Black Americans are killed by blacks then by cops. Well, the fact is, All Lives Matter (ALM). It is Sad, Insulting, and Degrading that Black Americans Today after all this Years have Forgotten (Think) who the Real Racists have Been and Continue to be, namely, the Democrats. Pass it on!
There is NO place in the birthing room for racism. I am tremendously disappointed in Gaskin’s racist, misinformed and damaging comments.
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WHAT HAPPENED:
Yesterday during a session at the Texas Birth Network “Birth Roundup” registered nurse Tasha Portley asked Ina May Gaskin about the impact of racism on the births of Black women. https://www.facebook.com/tasha.portley/posts/1448318131887173?pnref=story.
Gaskin responded with anecdotal stories about Black women who lost their lives as a result of provider negligence, and blamed the Black women for not being more informed of their life-threatening symptoms. Moreover, Gaskin stated that “drug overdose” and the use of illegal drugs was the cause of the massive amount of Black maternal death rates. She also mentioned that communities “don’t pray as much as we used to” as a reason contributing to maternal death rates.
The FACTS:
Black women die at a higher rate than any other group of women from preventable birth complications. Black women continue to be refused quality and safe care due to educators and leaders like Ina May Gaskin. Ina May Gaskin represent the ways in which white supremacy and anti-Black racism continues to harm the safety and wellbeing of Black women who are in need of quality maternal healthcare.
The white supremacist and anti-Black narrative perpetuated by Ina May Gaskin and those who ascribe to her teachings are the very narratives that LITERALLY cost Black women their safety and lives.
Our DEMANDS:
Community
- Immediately acknowledge how harmful Ina May Gaskin is to the birth community. Publicly denounce Ina May Gaskin and those who support her racist ideology.
- Refuse to attend/participate in events that feature Ina May Gaskin. Gaskin is being paid to teach a narrative that is violent to Black women and people of color.
- Apply pressure to organizations who continue to support Ina May Gaskin and those who support her racist ideology.
- Publicly commit to funding the work of Black women in the birth community.
- Create a plan of accountability that includes anti-racist training for your chapters.
ICAN
- Establish a scholarship fund to increase the presence of Black midwives and Doulas within the network.
- Form accountability group of women of color to oversee ICAN board process.
- Create process for anti-racist training with community accountability.
Texas Birth Network
- Present a clear plan for addressing and improving health outcomes for socio-economically disadvantaged people of color.
- Present a plan for anti-racist training
- Create a fund for Black doulas.
We DEMAND that ICAN, TBN, and the birth community TRUST BLACK WOMEN and build better births for ALL of us.
-Tasha Portley, R.N, M.S.N, C.C.M, C.P.ST
-Erricka Bailey, CD
-Jasmine Banks, L.A.C
Updates
April 25, 2017
We hit one hundred signatures today. It is exhausting to see how many people have seen or experienced this racism, but I am not walking away from this fight.
Reached 1,000 supporters
April 24, 2017
Reached 100 supporters
April 23, 2017
April 22, 2017
The uphill battle against these harmful narratives is exhausting but we are nearing the one thousand mark. I need you to push this forward right now because the people in power are watching these numbers closely. We have to keep this momentum moving before they look away.
228 Comments
My midwife ignored my pleas for help and told me my abdominal pain was “just gas” and prescribed me GasX. Turns out I was in labor and my son was dying what was considered in a healthy third trimester pregnancy. He was stillborn. I delivered him naturally.
I am a white birth/postpartum doula and I am embarrassed that these are the attitudes shaping the popular culture's view of birthing in America. We need intersectional birthwork with the same urgency we need intersectional feminism.
As a white midwife serving an overwhelmingly white clientele, I want to be more sensitive to topics like this, I want to know more, grow, and be held accountable for any racism in me. I am committing to the community demands.
I'm so disappointed. I had admired Ina May for her work for women's reproductive health and autonomy, but I want no part of any activism that sidelines the needs of women of color like this. Our black sisters deserve better than white feminism in birth work.
This is not the first time I've heard this. I also believe that the historical black women who were really the original community midwives deserve recognition. Ina benefitted from white privilege at the start of her career and continues to do so. Her latest comments disgust me.
Just as women's symptoms have historically been ignored and downplayed (with deadly results), so too have black womens needs been dismissed. Their wellbeing matters. Their black babies matter. Shame on Ina May Gaskin.
Good luck, Hope you Remember the Racist Joe Biden’s famous quote "If you have a problem figuring out whether you're for me or Trump, then you Ain't Black," translation, If You Don’t Vote for Me, ‘You Ain’t Black’, So you “ain’t” black if you vote for Trump? That’s embarrassing and a slap in the face to any black voter, that said, All Black Americans should also wake up and challenge the ill-educated anti-American BLM to explain HOW looting and rioting, arson attacks on private businesses , rampant violence and lawlessness protesting, stomping and burning the U.S.A. flag, vandalizing and toppling Civil War statues and monuments, there by Erasing the History of the Pro-slavery, Spread Hating, and currently the True Racist Democratic Party which was Proudly Known Historically as The Slaveholding Confederate States of America, stop blacks from murdering each other in record numbers every weekend in Democrat-run cities and states ONLY? Why does BLM believe black lives ONLY matter when they are harmed or killed by a white person, especially a white cop and not by black hoodlum? (Think) Where are the multitude of protesters, mourners, and televised funeral services from BLM for the deaths of Black men, women, children, and cops killed by black thugs across America's major cities? The truth is BLM does not care about black people killing other black people, because it does nothing to advance its political power agenda and they know more Black Americans are killed by blacks then by cops. Well, the fact is, All Lives Matter (ALM). It is Sad, Insulting, and Degrading that Black Americans Today after all this Years have Forgotten (Think) who the Real Racists have Been and Continue to be, namely, the Democrats. Pass it on!
There is NO place in the birthing room for racism. I am tremendously disappointed in Gaskin’s racist, misinformed and damaging comments.
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My midwife ignored my pleas for help and told me my abdominal pain was “just gas” and prescribed me GasX. Turns out I was in labor and my son was dying what was considered in a healthy third trimester pregnancy. He was stillborn. I delivered him naturally.