Including a Doula in the Heart and Soul project was top on my list. I discovered Sesheta of Me&She Doula via a mutual friend. Her light shines bright. She showed up in the most beautiful yellow dress and opened up her powerful, loving heart without restraint.

A Doula is trained to provide guidance and support to Mothers and newborns during pregnancy, birth and postpartum. Doulas remind us of our power and sometimes remind others of it too. Doulas educate and advocated for Women. They help you make informed decisions about your birth experience while providing emotional and physical support. Doulas are Angels. I had a wonderful Doula at the birth of my son, it was one of the best decisions I made. <3

Doulas and Midwives are especially important for Black Woman and Woman of Color as they are 3 times more likely to die while giving birth than White Women. Some contributing factors are access to appropriate and high-quality care, missed or delayed diagnoses, and lack of knowledge among patients and providers around warning signs. Most of these deaths could be prevented. With age old stereotypes and myths about Black people having a higher pain tolerance or thicker skin still believed by half of medical students, it is no wonder why we have so many senseless deaths. Research racism in medicine and you will come across some very heartbreaking evidence that there is much work to me done to rid the medical field of institutional racism.

From Me&She’s website…

”My fire for birth work was ignited a few years ago when I began studying herbalism. I began little by little uncovering and unearthing the trials and tribulations of being a woman, being a woman of color, and being a woman of color who’s pregnant. Such prevalence deeply troubled me and gave me a drive to be a force to combat such troubles. I’ve had the opportunity to grow up in a household that held strong to the values of femininity and understood the emphasis of sisterhood and community very early on. With this, I was granted the opportunity to take a step further and train to be a Doula under The Mothership in 2018. I have made it my goal, passion, and mission to be an ally, asset, and pillar for the women of my community through womb and birth work. I am deeply excited and blessed to have been called upon to do the work needed to bring health back into my community, even more so to be able to assist and join hands with women while walking through pregnancy.”

Including a Doula in the Heart and Soul project was top on my list. It was so wonderful spending time with Sesheta and her family. Her Power and Love shines so bright.

Coming September 2020, ‘Heart and Soul’ is a photo installation project that was created to elevate the voices of some of Cincinnati’s amazing Black Womxn. Commisioned by Artworks and funded by FotoFocus I worked with 8 youth apprentices to make mini murals created with painted photos that will be wheat pasted on Black Owned businesses around Cincinnati.