Mamas of Color Rising

Instead of flowers or cards, Mamas of Color Rising wants Birth Justice for Mother’s Day!  Watch this wonderful video made by UT student, Andrea Zarate , and then click on our Birth Justice fundraising campaign to make a donation that will help us launch a free pre-natal clinic for poor mamas of color in Austin, staffed by volunteer midwives and birth companions (doulas)!

We have 30 days to raise $1,000.  With your generous support we can make this dream a reality!  After making a contribution, help us spread the word by sending it through your social networks and to your email lists, directly from the campaign website!

Are you a Woman of Color? Are you pregnant?

If so, and if you would also like meet with other women of color and learn about free resources available to you that could benefit you and your baby during this very important time, than please attend!

Come out for FREE healthy food, FREE women and children’s clothes, toys, and shoes, information about free community resources, and a chance to have your questions and concerns about pregnancy and birth answered!

Discussion Topic: Fears and Concerns about Birthing and Labor

You can help us spread the word by printing and distributing our Spanish and English fliers!

THIS EVENT IS PART OF A PROJECT CREATED BY MAMAS OF COLOR RISING COLLECTIVE IN AUSTIN, TX.

For more information call 254-421-4059 or email sankofa.mamas@gmail.com

In a few weeks Mamas of Color Rising will be offering 20 women of color training to become DONA-certified Birth Companions (Doulas).  The four-day training will be made available free of charge to participants in exchange for a commitment to make their services as birth companions available at no cost to other poor women of color in our community.  The Birth Companion Project is one piece of MOCR’s broader campaign to increase access to birthing options for poor women of color in the greater Austin area.

Help us reach our fundraising goal for this project by attending our SXSW kick off party MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT at the Historic Victory Grill in East Austin.  RSVP on our Event Page and don’t forget to “like” Mamas of Color Rising’s fan page.

We are very pleased to announce that you can now make donations to us ONLINE! Simply click on THIS DONATION LINK to visit our Pay Pal site where you can enter your donation amount and submit it securely.  If you haven’t already seen it, please also check out our Wish List of items.

Thanks so much to everyone who has supported Mamas of Color Rising.  With your love we are building a better world for mamas and their children.  Stay tuned for updates about our upcoming retreat with our sisters from Young Women United,  2011 International Women’s Day and Mother’s Day Actions, and our long awaited Sister Doula Training!  You can also follow us on our new Facebook Page!

Join Mamas of Color Rising for our end of the year benefit party Saturday December 4, 2010 at The Historic Victory Grill in Austin, TX! The party will feature various women of color performers and DJs, free food, a cash bar, a raffle, and lots of fun, music, and dancing. We are asking for a minimum of $5 donations at the door. Children and families are welcome!

This Mamas of Color Rising benefit party will help us raise money for 20 women of color to become trained and certified doulas. This is one part of our current campaign around access to equality in birthing and prenatal care for women of color. This training will be a first step in implementing a women of color doula and birth support project here in Austin, TX. Please come out and support our work!

On May 9th, 2010, Mamas of Color Rising realized their first Mother’s Day Action Project to demand midwifery through Medicaid in Texas. After brainstorming and bringing their ideas together, MOCR decided that to bring awareness to the community about the midwifery model that women of color lack access to, they would hand out flowers to women of color with a palmcard attached with reasons why Medicaid in Texas SHOULD cover midwifery (reasons on posting below).

The Mamas gathered in a parking lot of a grocery store which they thought would be supportive of their work, being that the majority of their customers are families/women of color. However, the store managers failed to demonstrate interest in their work. The Mamas being the revolutionary group that they are, proceeded to gather in the parking lot and continued with their work, aware that their presence was not wanted.

As the members of MOCR approached women of color in the parking lot, offering other women a flower to acknowledge the work that they do/ did as a mother, some were surprised, perplexed, responsive, and the majority thankful. Some, even offered donations for the flower, and then it was clarified by a Mama that no donation was needed and that the flower was simply a symbol of acknowledgement from one woman of color to another.

After passing out nearly 300 carnations to women, the store security approached a member and notified her that they were not allowed to be passing out flowers. Lucky for the Mamas, they had already made contact with nearly 300 mothers with whom they had the opportunity to chat with and bring their message across to.

This moment of accomplishment within a community of motherhood had to be captured.

Mothers deserve more than flowers for Mother's Day!

*”27 countries have lower maternal mortality rates than America, according to the World Health Organization. Many of these countries also have higher midwifery rates and lower caesarean rates. More than 40 countries also have lower infant mortality rates than America, a country that spends twice as much or more per capita on health care than any other industrialized nation.”
-Boston Globe Tina Cassidy | December 8, 2006

On this mother’s day we want more than flowers and cards, we want all mothers (including poor mothers, undocumented mothers and young mothers) to have the power and the access to choose their birthing option.

Maternal and Infant mortality rates are alarmingly high in the U.S.*, particularly within communities of color. Research shows that holistic pre-natal care (including nutrition and health education) from early pregnancy on, as well as continuous birth support contribute to healthier outcomes for both mothers and babies. These options, inherent to the midwifery model of care, are not available to poor women (uninsured or on Medicaid) in Texas. Below is a list of ten reasons why Medicaid in Texas should cover midwifery:

10. Helps to prevent unneccesay interventions (technology, drugs, and surgery)
9. Provides continuous support (Midwives stay with you throughout labor and delivery)
8. Healthier babies
7. Promotes bonding with mother and child
6. Promotes breastfeeding
5. Supports mother’s and baby’s physical and emotional well-being
4. Cheaper prenatal, delivery, and postnatal care
3. Continuous prenatal and postnatal care
2. Safer birth for mother and baby
1. MOTHER HOLDS THE POWER (SHE HAS A MORE ACTIVE VOICE IN HER PREGNANCY AND BIRTH)

With that said, on May 9th, 2010, Mamas of Color Rising, in conjunction with Young Women United in Albuquerque, NM will be participating in a Mother’s Day Action to raise awareness about the benefits of midwifery as an accessible birthing option.