By Xenia Shih Bion, California Health Care Foundation, August 5, 2021
When Kimberly Seals Allers delivered her first child at a top-rated New York City hospital 21 years ago, her wishes were ignored by doctors and nurses. Feeling disrespected and voiceless, she decided to confront the causes and to advocate for equity in pregnancy and childbirth for Black mothers and birthing people.* A journalist by trade, Seals Allers is author of three books on pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding; a technology entrepreneur; and a force to be reckoned with. She is determined to debunk the media narrative that suggests merely surviving childbirth is a noteworthy accomplishment for a Black person. “Despite the mainstream media’s fixation on death and negative statistics, there are models for joy in Black births,” she said.
To counter the negative stories, Seals Allers is hosting a new podcast, Birthright. With support from CHCF, the inaugural season of Birthright lifts up 10 joyful stories that more accurately represent the Black birthing experience. In one episode, Morine Cebert Gators, who learned that she was pregnant shortly after defending her doctoral dissertation, had to obtain prenatal care in a new city. Her determination to find a Black ob/gyn with whom she felt comfortable paid off during a pregnancy that had some complications and a birth experience that she felt was positive and empowering.
Comments (0)