BLKBRY: Addressing the Black Maternal Health Crisis Through Reproductive Justice

By Omari Salisbury

Burien, WA – Across the Seattle-Metro area, an organization named BLKBRY is making waves by addressing critical gaps in Black maternal health and fostering a powerful community of advocates. Founded on reproductive justice and cultural empowerment principles, BLKBRY recently hosted a significant event, "Pass The Yams," reinforcing its commitment to educating and supporting the community it serves. 

BLKBRY, encompassing both an LLC and a nonprofit arm known as BLKBRY Community, is dedicated to serving Black families within Washington State. As Founding Director Jazmin Williams explains, BLKBRY is an "unapologetically and explicitly serving Black families within Washington State, providing them with direct service and also wrap-around services for really what we're missing Within the black maternal health care." The organization's name itself is a symbol of their mission, with missing letters representing gaps in Black maternal healthcare that BLKBRY aims to fill.

Reproductive Justice at the Core

At the core of BLKBRY's work is reproductive justice, a concept Williams defines as encompassing "our bodily autonomy, our right to have children, to not have children, and to raise them how we want to." She emphasizes the intersectionality of reproductive justice, noting how factors like "low income housing, not understanding the wage gap, education and that all affects our reproductive justice."

"Pass The Yams": A Gathering for Change

The recent "Pass The Yams" workshop, held at the Burien Community Center, brought together a diverse group of individuals, including doulas, midwives, and community members, all united by a desire for change. Williams described the event as a two-day workshop led by Raven Freeborn, focusing on "policy and advocacy and centering it around blackness." She added, "We're workshopping around like how to break down what the RJ movement is here in Seattle, they're also focusing on colonialism, capitalism, anti blackness, and how it affects our policy."

Raven E. Freeborn, a Healing Justice practitioner and founder of Legacy Healing and Therapy Services, served as the facilitator for "Pass The Yams." Freeborn articulated the event's purpose, stating, "Today we are talking about the black radical tradition and the ways that reproductive justice can be used to help people to advocate and organize and collectivize themselves around healing both themselves and their communities." She stressed the importance of community connection, aiming to "make neighbors actually part of community" and provide "the tools and the resources to talk about what we're experiencing."

Freeborn also highlighted the significance of doulas in this work, describing them as being "about community care, right? They're about collectivism. What does it mean to meet someone in their situation and help to hear them, hold them and transform what they're going through?" She emphasized the need for organizations like BLKBRY, stating, "we need Black people who are in leadership over the conditions and the situations that folks are going through, so that they can speak from a level of authority, from their own lived experience and expertise."

Addressing the Black Maternal Health Crisis

The event also shed light on the pressing issue of the Black maternal health crisis. Williams pointed out, "Black women are dying," and despite a drop in overall maternal health rates, "that hasn't changed for black women, we're still being harmed even within the most progressive of cities." She added, "We are all subjected to medical racism. We experience harm and trauma in those areas."

Shevonne Tsegaye, the Director of Programs and Strategy at BLKBRY, echoed these concerns, stating, "the Black maternal health crisis, the infant maternal or the infant mortality crisis. I mean, our babies are dying at rates that are higher than any other group of folks, babies." Tsegaye emphasized the need for "spaces where we can be unapologetically ourselves and practice our beliefs, practice our" ancestral knowledge. She described BLKBRY as "a lifeline for a lot of people, a lot of families" and "a safe space for birth workers to come in and, you know, practice in a way that is culturally congruent."

Jami Bess, Director of Programs at Open Arms Perinatal Services, also spoke to the historical context of childbirth, noting how "the loss of community support, the loss of the knowledge that granny midwives had, was a huge impact." She explained how doulas now "are really being able to help families walk through like a birth plan, knowing what is going to happen, giving them the opportunity to understand what's available to them."

Community and Cultural Focus

BLKBRY's approach is deeply rooted in community and cultural practices. Williams emphasized, "Everything that we do is really an afro interpretation of what other classes that other organizations might do, but we bring it back to the culture. We bring it back to Black community." She also highlighted BLKBRY's community pantry and their commitment to supporting Black-owned businesses. "We buy from those businesses, and we give to the black families we support at no cost. And with that, it's a way for us to also keep the Black dollars circulating in the Black community," she said.

Tsegaye reflected on the sense of community at BLKBRY, stating, "it's truly like it goes back to just being able to be unapologetically Black, being unapologetic, unapologetically myself, showing up as my full self." Bess observed, "I see so much brilliance and wisdom and really the revival of what the Black radical tradition has been and the grounding of What it really looks like to be in community."

Looking Forward

BLKBRY continues to evolve and address the needs of the Black community. Williams stressed the importance of "making sure folks have that information" about available resources and creating spaces for Black professionals in these fields. She also emphasized the organization's commitment to continued education and partnerships with anchor organizations in the reproductive justice movement.In conclusion, BLKBRY's work, exemplified by the "Pass The Yams" event, is vital in addressing the Black maternal health crisis and fostering a strong, empowered community. By centering Blackness, honoring cultural traditions, and advocating for reproductive justice, BLKBRY is making a tangible difference in the lives of Black families in Washington State. As Williams stated, "Blackberry is Black. We are here for the Black community. We are always going to make sure that we focus on what is needed. We’re not going to be afraid to call folks out and call folks in. We are unapologetic about the work that we do, and we are here for the long run."