Black Birth Joy: A Photovoice Campaign

Black Birth Joy is a photo-voice campaign that I curated to help shift the narrative surrounding black births.

Black women are scared, nervous, and overwhelmed as we witness personal testimonies and troubling statistics that reflect poor and persistently worsening birth experiences. Social media’s amplification of this phenomenon alongside national statistics cultivates fear and leaves some Black pregnant women hesitant about navigating the maternal health care system.

How can we help alleviate fear and anxiety among Black mothers about giving birth? What if we visually showcase Black birthing families in a positive light, amplifying their voices in a way that helps others to also feel supported, respected, and safe during their birth. Rather giving birth at home, in a hospital, or in a birth center; visual imagery is powerful and can be used to serve as a positive affirmation for Black birthing families. This photovoice project will buffer the oppressive forces of historical racial trauma that haunt birthing women today and continue to perpetuate in maternal and infant healthcare and outcomes. It is also important to encourage perinatal professionals including doulas, midwives, hospital staff, birth center staff, and care providers to center the voices of these families. This will help shift public perceptions and narratives to be more uplifting and affirming – thus reshaping how we approach childbirth for Black Families.

While my grant application was not funded through the Advancing Healthy Births grant, this project was handpicked by the Region 9 Perinatal Quality Collaborative team for a different avenue of funding and support. I am collaborating with Region 9 to provide 5 black families with birth photography services and newborn photography services at no cost to the families. Participating families will also receive a photo album with their final birth images as a THANK YOU for participating as well.

Aiming to capture and showcase genuine love, happiness, and joys of birth for black families, the images from these sessions will be displayed online, in print, and on display at established community events and perinatal spaces in and around Washtenaw County and beyond. They will also be produced into commitment postcards and other art derivates, because black representation in births matters!

Interested or know someone who might be? Please have them complete the Black Birth Joy Interest form: