Looking black
Mars Lord
3rd April 2017
I am a black mother.
I’ve used this subtitle before. I’m using it again. I should be happy that I am beginning to see more diverse images in the birth world. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think it is all down to me. Many others have been championing this for as long and longer than me. But I am not happy. I’m not nearly happy about some of the imagery that I saw today. In fact, my blood pressure is rising and my heart is sad.
Black imagery.
I’ve been reading an online piece about breastfeeding. It’s a fabulous piece and really makes me think about my practise. And all of it is lost to me because of a simple image. A beautiful black woman being supported by a beautiful black woman. I can sense your confusion. What on earth could be wrong with that? Surely it’s what we want. Diverse imagery on a breastfeeding site, inside a breastfeeding magazine.
“No matter how many awards or accolades I get, the one thing that really is a judgement of me is what kind of mother I am”
Solange Knowles
A mothered mother, loving her son.
My upset is not the use of diverse imagery, but where it is used and how. Black is not bad. Yet the articles that the black images are attached to talk about motherless women and difficult meetings. These images are seen nowhere in the leadership training section.
You may think that I am being fussy and over picky. I think not. You see, when my daughters and their friends go to get support, I do not want them labelled as difficult and motherless. I do not wish them to be seen as incapable of mothering and loving their children. Yes, all this from a couple of images. Beautiful images. But there is no beauty in the unspoken message, despite the informative article.
Do you want to be able to reach into your community as a birthkeeper? Are you ready for the privilege of being a woman’s doula? To be part of one of the most intimate moments of her life? Abuela Doulas is here for that very reason and we love women from all cultures. Contact us here and come join us, as we welcome new life into our world and let’s change it, one birth at a time.
