Photo by Tess Cagle Photography
Photo by Tess Cagle Photography
Photo by Tess Cagle Photography
Today, we are sitting in gratitude for BORN INTO THIS 2019.
This past weekend was marked by conversation, eye-opening dialogue and community. (We also raised $3000 for our scholarship program!)
Here’s to all 150 birth workers, doulas, parents, health professionals, community leaders and change-makers who joined us at BORN INTO THIS 2019 to learn, grow and listen. Here’s to our speakers from across the country, who each brought valuable perspectives to the table on reproductive justice, the birth world, sexual health, #doulalife and implicit bias. Here’s to our sponsors, community, staff and friends who made this possible. Thank you!
Here are a few takeaways:
1.) Many of us have more access than we ever have before to education around birth and reproductive justice, the collective histories of our professions and models for improving our industries’ approach to racial disparities, gender inclusivity and bias. To open the conference on Day Two, DTI founders Tara and Gina set the precedent for the day’s discussions—it’s on us to use our access and make change in the birth outcomes of the communities we serve.
2.) Following their opening, we heard from Paula X. Rojas, a community organizer, licensed midwife and social justice trainer, and she discussed her recent work on The National Perinatal Task Force’s “Building A Movement to Birth A More Just and Loving World.” This report highlights the grave and racialized maternal and infant disparities in the United States and offers a framework to address not only root causes but also individual, community, and systems-level responses. You can learn more about that report here. (All attendees at the conference each received a paper copy, too!)
3.) In our They/Them/Theirs discussion on Day Two, Trystan Reese shared his truth about both the joys and difficulties that come along with self-advocacy. When he was navigating his own pregnancy, he had the tools and resources to hold medical professionals accountable and demand appropriate care. As birth workers and professionals in this field, we must acknowledge that this is not something everyone can do without support or more information. We must build practices of inclusivity and informed consent into our day-to-day approaches with clients and pregnant families.
4.) Day Two brought more than impactful insight—it also brought moments for dialogue. During the fishbowl conversation, Carmen M. Lane and Dr. Alicia Bonaparte unpacked decolonization and the mayhem of intersectionality within the birth world. They invited attendees to join in and the resulting discussion proved to be a demonstration of community and accountability in practice. Thank you to everyone who participated!) How can we show up as both agents of change and allies when it comes to racial justice within the birth world? (Grab a digital ticket to hear the discussion in its entirety.)
5.) On Day Three, we settled into some of our learnings from Day Two with workshops, trainings and gatherings. Special shout-out to Jen Sarduy of Re+Birth Equity for hosting the weekend’s Implicit Bias Training—it was a packed house! We’d also like to thank Mac Brydum of That Doula Guy and Laurel Gourrier and Danielle Jackson of Birth Stores in Color for hosting our LGBTQIA+ Birth Workers Gathering and our Birth Workers of Color Gathering. Those connections and conversations won’t be forgotten!
We can’t wait to return in 2020! In the meantime, here are a few ways to get involved:
1.) Grab a BORN INTO THIS 2019 digital ticket.
If you weren’t able to attend the conference this year, we highly recommend grabbing a digital ticket. This ticket is $35 and includes a digital reproduction of Day Two’s talks and panels (with access granted on June 24, 2019). It also includes access to earlybird tickets for Born Into This 2020. Click here to learn more.
2.) Donate to our scholarship program.
This year, we raised $3000 for our scholarships at BORN INTO THIS and there are still ways for you to contribute. Click here to make a donation.
3.) Explore the DTI shop.
All BORN INTO THIS shop items are now listed online at the DTI shop. You can grab a conference tee, one of our fanny packs and browse books from our speakers, like Birthing Justice by Dr. Alicia Bonaparte. Click here to shop.
4.) Support the work of our speakers throughout the year.
We are so grateful for the voices behind BORN INTO THIS. Keep up with our speakers and their work! Meet them all here.
5.) Give our sponsors some love.
BORN INTO THIS would not be possible without support from our gracious sponsors, community partners and friends. Take a peek at all of the businesses and brands that supported us this year, and send them your appreciation!
6.) Check out DTI’s programs and subscribe to our email list.
We host trainings, workshops and other special events year-round! Learn more about our upcoming calendar and register for one of our doula trainings here.