Join KPCC for a conversation on wellness for Black moms-to-be
Black babies in Los Angeles county are three times more likely to die before their first birthday than white babies. Personal stories about childbirth complications from celebrities like Beyoncé and tennis star Serena Williams are reminders that even the most wealthy and healthy black women and their babies are vulnerable.
If you are a black woman, what can you do with this information?
KPCC’s Priska Neely, whose own family is part of the statistic, produced a series of stories examining the history of the black-white gap in outcomes for babies and what communities are trying to do to tackle the issue. Her reporting shows that the root cause is a social one, and the suspected assailant is systemic racism and the chronic stress brought on by being a black woman in this country. This January, KPCC hosted a powerful event to deepen public dialogue around this issue.
Due to overwhelming interest, Priska Neely will host another interactive conversation to share stories and information that women can use — in and outside of the doctor’s office — to process trauma, and open up new possibilities for pregnancy and birth.
Guests:
- Dr. Gwen Allen — OB-GYN, Gardena Women’s Center
- Kimberly Durdin — Lactation consultant (IBCLC), student midwife, doula, and co-founder of Kindred Space LA, a birth, lactation and education space
- Raena Granberry — mother, maternal-child health advocate and program manager with Black Women for Wellness
- Crystal Michelle — holistic healer, doula, and studio manager at The Tree South LA Yoga and Meditation
Join us!
Wellness for Black Moms-to-Be: Resilience in the Face of Racism
May 25, 2019 | 10 a.m–11:30 a.m.
Exposition Park — Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Regional Library
3900 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles
Read more at www.kpcc.org/blackbabies
