African American Birth HERstory Traditions

1/30/2020 Comments

Fertility, Womb Health and the Expansion of Spiritual Expression Rooted thru Afroconic™️ 'Booty' Dance

"The awareness of my body definitely had a lot to do with my experience with homebirth. [My midwife] would always bring me back to ME... bringing me back to, 'You will know." It confirmed this power that [women] hold... We're always being told, when it comes to our bodies, that we don't know... And women carry that [belief within] themselves, that they don't know." ~ Christa "Fatoumata" Sylla

Did the dance style in title catch your attention? Take a moment and meet the GODDESS who coined that term.

Christa "Fatoumata" Sylla is the Founder and Director of Nan Nkama Pan-African Drum and Dance Ensemble. She is a DANCETHROPOLOGIST and her Afroconic™️ Booty Dance fitness class has been used to introduce individuals to many of the "sensual" movements from Africa and the Diaspora.

I have great admiration for her contributions toward helping folks see and understand the dances of Black peoples in a new and enlightened way - a way to make spiritual connection to oneself.

Topics discussed:

Afro-rooted dance
Studying spiritual and faith-based dance
Taking on the "essence" of the dance
Embracing the the spirituality of dance
Ritual and spiritual practice in dance
The origin of "Afroconic™️ Booty Dance"
Diasporic dances that enhance and express fertility
The benefit of movement to isolate muscles and unblock energy for fertility
Decoding the origins of "booty" dances
How dances are socialized in traditional Black cultures
Differences in dances that have been commercialized
The sexualization of afro-rooted dances
Teaching hip-oriented dances to children
"Dance" as a part of Black families and cultures
Learning through apprenticeship in afro-centered cultures
"Roots of Rhythm"
Being attuned to yourself in pregnancy
Believing that "you will know"
Spiritually preparing for birth
The value of movement during pregnancy
Dance as an expression of faith and spirituality

Fatou expressed gratitude for Fruitful Vine Midwifery Services and the book, In the Way of Our Grandmothers.

Fatou's homebirth son

Connect with Fatou and learn more about the work she is doing:

Website: ChristaFatoumataSylla.com
Email: Christa.Sylla@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christafatousylla/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fatou_sylla/

Website: https://nan-nkama-jax.square.site/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NanNkama/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nannkamajax/

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1/24/2020 Comments

Offering Bitter Truths about Black Birth & Postpartum Culture, Because "All Medicine Ain't Sweet"

"Our mores and cultural norms are not just nice or cute. Our ancestral science and indigenous customs were encoded with life saving science, rituals and information... Our ancestors' wisdom and science, whether any European ever confirmed it or not, [it] is real... it existed for a reason." ~ Yael B. Yisrael

"SEA MOSS! I forgot to mention sea moss!"

That was the first thing Yael B. Yisrael said after we stopped our recording, along with saying something about getting her "Caribbean card" revoked if she didn't mention it. HA! You can reach out to her if you would like to know more of what she would have said about it, but it will only be a snippet of other jewels you will find she is able share about traditional remedies, and birth and postpartum based on her Caribbean roots in Grenada.

Yael and I have been connected for a few years in birth culture, however, we share even more camaraderie now as we share a common cause and call around helping to restore the birth and postpartum practices of Black people throughout the Diaspora.

Yael is very dear to my heart as she was one of those who was present when I made a decision to dive fully into focusing on Black women. I am grateful to remain connected to her through the lineage and legacy of nurturing and caring for Black women, especially during the childbearing years.

One of the things I appreciate most about Yael is that she is not only committed to teaching Black women, but she is truly following the traditions of our ancestors by living out the practices and teaching her daughter. Her legacy extends to her own home first. Check out that baby doll in the leg warmer uterus. I LOVE how she teaches her young'un about BIRTH!

Topics discussed in this conversation:

Claiming the role of "Herbal and Traditional Healer"
Relaying first hand accounts of Scopolamine use
Remembering the stories of our mothers
"All medicine ain't sweet..."
Becoming dependent on a system that doesn't have our best interest in mind
Dealing with the perception that Black culture doesn't exist
Pulling elder wisdom toward us
Work hard... No drama... Have fun...
The lineage and legacy of Shiphrah and Puah
Looking for the traditions, cultures and customs
The 'privilege' of having space to heal
Not having the "fear" of birth
"...no maternal mortality..." How?
Breaking the "spell" and thoughts that your culture is evil
When your DNA starts talking and gets triggered through trauma
Sharing collective memory like an heirloom
Black women... "SHE is ME"
Look for the inspiration you identify with
Dealing with pre-existing challenges of Black women
Living in a society that doesn't honor ritual
Honoring kinship throughout the African Diaspora
Self-care of our wombs as a part of everyday life

Yael offers these words of gratitude:

Shiphrah & Puah, the Hebrew midwives who saved the entire nation of Yisrael by protecting the Hebrew baby boys.
My mother, Phyllis Gomes, who is a retired Labor & Delivery nurse.
My "Anty" Vere Cudjoe, of blessed memory, who passed down postpartum healing rituals to me, at the ripe age of 90 years old.
My friend Yehosheba Bat Yisrael, who shared her knowledge of womanly arts & African postpartum womb steaming with me.
Elder midwife Emelda Cox, a Grenadian midwifery icon, who taught me that the highest form of medicine is the art of educating and caring.

Website: www.flatbushdoulasinc.com
Store: https://flatbushdoulas.square.site/
Email: info@flatbushdoulasinc.com
Phone: (347) 688-9235
Facebook: www.facebook.com/flatbushdoulas
Instagram: www.instagram.com/flatbushdoulas

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1/10/2020 Comments

Infusing SPIRIT and SOUL into Birthwork to Continue the Legacy of Protecting Black Women

"You're piecing [the call to birthwork] together... How do you piece together the whiteness that you are seeing with the Blackness that's in you and make it make sense? Because that's what you're forced to do... even thinking about how to incorporate soul work and spirit work into it." ~ Brittany 'Tru' Kellman, CPM, CD, CLC

"Don't ever, ever, tell me the ancestors ain't real. Don't allow anyone to lead you to believe that our ancestors died without giving a fight. Their spirits are alive and well, and fighting through me."

These are the words Brittany "Tru" Kellman. After our conversation, she told me about a challenge that was being fought at the time. The details of the situation are shown below in the VICTORY post that was posted by Jamaa Birth Village the very next day. YES!!!

Tru is a warrior in the truest sense of the word. And throughout her life she has shown the tenacity and strength required to see victory over oppressive forces. Like so many other Black women reclaiming birthwork and healing practices, the ancestors continue the fight for our liberation through women like her.

Topics discussed:

"Black Woman's Guide to Homebirth..."
Moving toward homebirth
"Saving myself..."
Becoming the provider the community needs
Having a VBAC2
Controversy about being the "1st Black CPM in Missouri"
Allyship vs White Savior Complex
"The Birthing of a Midwife..." groups
Keeping Black women from getting lost and stuck in birth culture
How Black women's DNA can be healed through birthwork
Being a "protector"
Understanding "I GOT YOU" in birthwork
Walking in the footsteps of our Grand Midwives
Being unconstrained in birth culture
Assisting in birthwork in Ghana
Nurturing and safeguarding "The Call"

Tru extends these words of gratitude:

"Thank you to my ancestors who didn't allow our traditions and ceremonies to perish but instead allowed this power to be carried through our DNA and reawakened with force! Thank you to my sons Kylan, Kashawn & Kaleo for giving birth to a new me and allowing me to realize my calling. Thank you to my wife for caring for me and our family so well while I became a Midwife. Without her, this path would've been near impossible. Thank you to Mama Ummsaalamah for beginning this work and inspiring me to trust my calling. Thanks to my community back home for believing in me and my amazing Jamaa board and staff who held things down along the way. A huge thanks to my amazing preceptors Allison & Corina for pushing me through the finish line. "

Listen to the Podcast:

Connect to Brittany "Tru" Kellman and the work she is doing:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/btkconsultingfirm/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BTKConsultingFirm/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TruKellman
Website: https://www.btkconsultingfirm.com/
Email: tru@BTKConsultingfirm.com
Phone: 314-619-3704

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamaabirthvillage/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamaabirthvillage/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jamaabirth
Website: https://www.jamaabirthvillage.org/
Email: tru@jamaabirthvillage.org
Phone: 314-643-7703

Website: https://www.thecosmicgrove.com/

PURCHASE:
A Black Woman's Guide to Home Birth by Brittany "Tru" Kellman: For Women and Families of Color & The Birth Workers That Serve Them.

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What are YOU waiting for to start learning about how to care for women during the childbearing year? Whether you are considering a career in birthwork, want to learn to help your family and friends or desire to be a resource for your community, "10 THINGS" is your starting place! Learn from from a Black historical perspective... learn from "someone who looks like you"... STOP WAITING... START LEARNING RIGHT NOW!

The voices of Black women have long been censored and/or edited. These conversations with Dr. Doula are an opportunity for Black women to share their truths and experiences in birth and birth culture in their own voices.

In other words, "She said what she said..."

When we help Birth HERstories we are acknowledging the BLACK BIRTH RENAISSANCE that is happening around the world! When we share our stories, practices, or traditions from women of African descent in America, we help preserve Black Birth HERstory. It is our responsibility as descendants of African women who were trafficked to the U.S. to hold their stories and know their practices, so that we are able to continue their tradition of being self-reliant and self-sustaining as communities of Black women.

Dr. Doula

My work is informed by my background – experiences, expertise, exposure, education & environment – as a woman, mother, wife, sister, educator, researcher, scholar, advocate, birth ally and legacy builder. #IAmTheAnswer #WeSaveOurselves
(Please note that the information shared on this blog is for information purposes only. Pregnant women should consult their PCP before following any practices found within the Birth HERstory Series Blog.)

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Fertility, Womb Health and the Expansion of Spiritual Expression Rooted thru Afroconic™️ 'Booty' Dance

Offering Bitter Truths about Black Birth & Postpartum Culture, Because "All Medicine Ain't Sweet"

Infusing SPIRIT and SOUL into Birthwork to Continue the Legacy of Protecting Black Women

Dr. Doula

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