Centering the African Diaspora in The ReBirth Space
African Diaspora defines the individuals who have been displaced from Africa and are living in a non-African society, and these individuals are typical Black-bodied. The heritage of Black-bodied individuals in the UK is a long and complex history which is a result of the Transatlantic slave trade, where African people were taken enslaved to build up British colonies, globally. This includes nations within, but not exclusively, the Caribbean and Africa: The African Diaspora. In the 20th century, Britain saw the increase of Black-bodied individuals migrating to the UK from these nations to rebuild the country following the world wars, with the biggest migration being the Windrush generation from the Caribbean in the 1950s. Their arrival was met with hostility from an anti-immigrant and anti-Black society. This history defines the experience of Black-bodied individuals in the UK today, and it also suggests why the Black-bodied person experiences significant disparities within education, work, and healthcare, which of course includes the perinatal experience.
By centering individuals within the African Diaspora, The ReBirth Space becomes a place where Black-bodied individuals are the core focus of Change within the birth community. With Black mothers still experiencing significant health disparities perinatally, the current medical system(White-body Medical Supremacy) needs to be challenged, and birth-work needs to centre ant-racism to begin dismantling a harmful system. Ultimately, White-body Medical Supremacy can harm all individuals who move through it, so by focusing on the most marginalised groups, Black-bodied mothers, we can begin to envision a maternity journey that is free from harm for all. Additionally, with a focus on the African Diaspora, we can identify alternative, indigenous ways to care for individuals whose heritage is African, no matter how far back.
Centring the African Diaspora looks like an anti-racist approach within all learning spaces, for both the doula and the client. It looks like a culturally safe experience for Black-bodied birthing families. It looks like allyship with others who are working to improve maternity outcomes. It looks like a movement that is committed to dismantling White-body Medical Supremacy to improve maternity outcomes for all those that experience it.