An Opportunity For Solidarity

Hey y'all--this is from a rad midwife friend. Please read on and donate if you can to support women of color struggling in the white-led birthing world...

Please feel free to forward widely, post on Facebook, etc...

Dearest Community,

As many of you know, I just recently graduated from Maternidad La Luz
(MLL), a midwifery school and clinic in El Paso, Texas that serves primarily women and families from Juarez, Mexico. During my 18-months
of training, I came to understand that both MLL and powerful sectors
of the midwifery community in the U.S. are white-dominated and
currently lack a meaningful analysis around white supremacy and
anti-racism.

I also came to meet two amazing midwives and dear friends during my
time at MLL, Andrea and Kennasha. They are the only midwives of color on staff, and thus hold unique positions at the clinic full of challenge and ripe with potential. In early October is a very exciting opportunity for them to attend the 7th International Black Midwives & Healers Conference: Weaving the Cultural Traditions of Midwifery. They believe that this 3-day conference would provide them with strength, inspiration, and tools to continue the amazing care and teaching they are providing at MLL, as well as a special opportunity to connect with
other folks of color who are also engaged in the beauty and struggle of midwifery.

I'm reaching out to people in my community who I know care deeply about anti-racism, reproductive justice, and midwifery. I am writing to ask that you donate to raise money towards Kennasha and Andrea’s registration fee and the cost of gas to Los Angeles and back, so that
they can participate in building community and learning with other midwives of color. We are trying to fundraise $950, and we know we can do it.

Later today I am starting a meditation retreat and I will not have phone or internet access for the next 3 months. Please contact Caroline @ cpicker140@yahoo.com with the amount you are sending, as the conference is coming up and Andrea and Kennasha need to know soon if they will be able to register.

Please make checks out to: Andrea Ruizquez and put “conference” in the memo line.

Please mail checks to:
Andrea Ruizquez
1106 Yandell #6
El Paso TX 79901

Thank you everyone!!!

(Note: to learn more about the conference, visit http://www.ictcmidwives.org/)