February is Black History Month.  Over time, there have been many posts on Connecting the Dots about the inequities in the United States that disproportionately impact Black people as they grow their families.  As a result of these inequities and the impact of constant microaggressions and racism, Black parents face maternal mortality rates that are three to four times those of their white peers.  Black babies are more likely to be born prematurely and at a low birth weight. Black babies are more likely to die during the first year of life than a white baby if they are born in the USA.  On Connecting the Dots and through Lamaze International, we will continue to highlight these critical issues along with opportunities for all perinatal professionals to get involved and work to reverse these situations.

But today, in honor of Black History Month, I want to invite each and every person reading this blog, to do two things:

1.     Thank a Black perinatal professional (childbirth educator, doula, midwife, L&D nurse, lactation consultant, doctor, and others) for the work they do.  Thank them directly *and* thank them by commenting on this blog below with your colleague’s name, location and tell us a little bit about them (with their permission of course.)

2.     Make a contribution to a fundraising effort or scholarship program (locally, nationally or even internationally) that allocates funds directly to Black perinatal professionals to receive initial training or continue to grow their training and serve their communities.

It is critical that Black families be able to access and receive care from professionals who are a part of their community. Families should be able to access services in every location from professionals who share their culture.

Black perinatal professionals face many challenges as they strive to receive appropriate training and serve their communities.  We all can help. Every single one of us can lean in and help fund organizations that train and center Black perinatal professionals. Some possibilities include:

• Black Mamas Matter Alliance
• Elephant Circle
• CommonSense Childbirth Annual Fund (Jennie Joseph)
• The Grand Challenge - Birthworkers of Color Scholarships
• HealthConnect One

You may be reading and learning from different sources about Black History Month during February and beyond.  Remember the contributions of the Granny Midwives and others who have come before, all providing amazing care under the most challenging of circumstances.  Please, let’s push forward to support and grow the next generation of Black perinatal leaders. Let’s acknowledge and thank them for their work, value their amazing contributions and recognize their efforts.  We can also make it easier for those who are coming up and moving into the perinatal professions to receive the training they need. We can honor and celebrate Black History Month and support all those making a difference!

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