Sojourners

The image shows a Black woman's pregnant belly being measured.

A midwife measures fundal height at Abide Women’s Health Services Easy Access Clinic in Dallas. / M311Y Photography

Black and Brown Birthing Folk Matter

They are deserving of excellent care that centers them and honors their lived experiences.
August 2024
By Cessilye Smith

THE LORD PLANTED a seed in my heart in 2013, when I was holding my baby girl at a conference and learned about the disparities and health outcomes for Black and brown women. I started Abide, a maternal justice organization [in Texas], to improve birth outcomes in communities with the lowest quality of care by offering services that are easily accessible, evidence-based, holistic, and free from judgment. I strongly believe this urge in my spirit is God-led. And God is saying that Black and brown birthing folk matter and are deserving of excellent care that centers them and honors their lived experiences.

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The illustration shows the August issue of Sojourners magazine which depicts a doctor at the death bed of a dying man. The dying man is black and wearing a green shirt and holding the hand of someone else who is not in the image.
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Cessilye Smith

Cessilye R. Smith is the founder and CEO of Abide Women’s Health Services, providing culturally informed pre- and postnatal care in Dallas. 

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