October 27, 2025 • 26 mins
Motherhood should feel like a place to thrive, not a test of endurance. We kick off Season One with our theme that names what so many Black moms live every day—momming in the margins—tracing its roots with Black Ladies in Public Health, and connecting personal stories to data, policy, and power. We call for maternal vitality, not just survival, and close with a pledge that turns awareness into action.
• defining momming in the margins and why it matters
• partnership origin with Black Ladies in Public Health
• data gaps during COVID and real-world harm
• pairing qualitative and quantitative data for truth
• maternal vitality alongside mortality and morbidity
• Momnibus, Black Maternal Health Caucus, and advocacy training
• nursing lens on social needs and clinical care
• power, voice, and a community pledge to act
If this conversation resonates, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review to help more listeners find us. Your voice amplifies the movement—what will your pledge be?
Thanks so much to Planned Parenthood of Northern, Central and Southern New Jersey for sponsoring this episode.
Planned Parenthood of Northern, Central, and Southern New Jersey provides high-quality, affordable sexual and reproductive health care services at 14 health centers across the state. Whether you need birth control, STI testing and treatment, a wellness exam, cancer screenings, pregnancy testing and options education, abortion care, and more, you can turn to Planned Parenthood for the care you need and deserve.
Learn more at www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-northern-central-southern-new-jersey
Send us a message if you loved the episode, and share your thoughts.
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Go to www.melinatedmoms.com/podcast for individual and corporate sponsorship information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Jaye Wilson (00:15):
Hey girl, hey, it's your girl Jaye.
Welcome to season one ofMelinated Mommy Talks, the
podcast, where, as your host, Iwill be talking about and
exploring so many amazing topicswithin the melanated mom's
world.
And sometimes we'll have somepretty dope ass guests to join
in that conversation with me.
(00:36):
This podcast is the birth childof our monthly in-person and
virtual support group.
We realize that all of the momsacross the planet who want to
participate in theseconversations may not ever or
may not always be able to attendour groups.
What better way to include allof you than to bring the
(00:56):
conversation directly to you?
You can listen to theseepisodes and be part of the
conversation anytime that worksfor you.
And you can listen to them asmany times as you want.
This podcast allows us to reachmore moms, birthing people, and
all those folks out there whowant to learn more about all
that we go through andexperience.
(01:17):
This podcast is going to covereverything from the mom journey
to relationships, to how policyand advocacy impact us, to
raising these mini-me's, and somuch more.
So we are so excited to haveyou with us.
If you love the idea of thisvoyage we are about to embark on
(01:38):
with this podcast, then Iencourage you to become a paid
subscriber.
Becoming a paid subscriber isan excellent way to help us keep
this podcast going and growingand improving on our production
quality.
Being a paid subscriber alsogives you access to exclusive
bonus episodes and other contentwe will drop to show our
(02:00):
thanks.
With the launch of the podcast,we have already made our pilot
episode available as a thank youto our subscribers.
This is something we recorded awhile back as we began
exploring the concept of turningour Melinated Mommy Talks live
and virtual groups into apodcast.
It's a great episode where witha group of other melanated
(02:21):
mommies and birthing supportivefolks, we dive into the concept
of Black Mama Magic, whichyou'll often hear me talking
about on this podcast.
I highly recommend that youcheck it out and we absolutely
appreciate the support.
You can get more information onhow to subscribe by clicking
the link in our podcastdescription.
(02:41):
You can also help the podcastby just becoming a listening
supporter if you're notinterested in bonus episodes and
subscribing.
The link to listener supportdonations is also available
through an additional link inour podcast description.
Whether you decide to become asubscriber or listening
supporter, we appreciate you andlook forward to bringing you
(03:02):
excellent content.
Now, this season, girl, I am soexcited for this full season of
Melinated Mommy Talks.
This season, we are going to bediving into the idea of momming
in the margins.
We're going to be defining it,exploring it with some special
guests, and literally justscratching the surface on some
(03:23):
of the ways that moms aremomming in the margins.
So go ahead and pull up yourmetaphorical seat, tap in, and
enjoy this first episode ofMelinated Mommy Talks the
Podcast Show.
(03:50):
Momming in the margins. Whooo! Chile!Such a huge topic for us to be
exploring this season, but I amso excited to shed some light on
this topic and build awarenessaround it.
So let's get started.
What exactly is Momming in theMargins?
So the phrase momming in themargins actually came from one
of our greatest partners, BlackLadies in Public Health.
(04:12):
I was introduced to BlackLadies in Public Health through
one of my greatest mentors, Dr.
Patty O'Brien Richardson.
She was telling me, you'redoing all this work in public
health, but are you reallyconnected to the people who look
like us who are making adifference?
And said, you really need to bea part of this amazing network.
(04:33):
I had no idea what this ladywas talking about.
But I was like, uh, well, helpme understand.
How do I connect to them?
Dr.
Patty sent a warm, welcomingemail between myself, her, and
Dr.
Jasmine Ward.
In that email, she introducedme, she gave her a little
insight on who I was and where Iwas going and what my plans
(04:54):
were with Melinated Moms.
And Dr.
Jasmine embraced me with openarms.
When I connected with her, itwas just like talking to a
sister.
She told me more about why shestarted Black Ladies in Public
Health, who she was as a publichealth professional, and why it
was so important for us to havea platform where other public
(05:14):
health professionals who werewomen, specifically black women,
saw, connected, and supportedone another.
So I said, How do I join?
What do I need to do?
How much does it cost?
Jasmine was very upfront.
She created this beautifulplatform and had more than
10,000 members that werespanning across more than 30
(05:36):
countries, as well as obviouslythe United States.
I felt like a little fish in ahuge pond of beautiful black
women who are doing amazingthings.
But I was wondering, how do Iactually fit into this?
So in my conversation withJasmine, she actually invited me
to come to New Orleans, whereshe was hosting a health
symposium.
(05:56):
And it was actually duringEssence Fest.
So it was my first time goingto Louisiana and my first time
technically going to EssenceFest.
But I was there to meetsomething that was even greater
than what I thought I wouldmeet.
I was meeting a partner.
I was really learning whatdoes it mean to be in a space of
(06:18):
academic excellence, socialimpact, and support with women
who look like me.
I felt like I found my people.
And I found the whole reasonfor having a network that really
embraces all of theintersections of who we are.
And it was highlightedliterally in the name of the
company.
(06:38):
The health symposium was heldat Xavier University, which is a
beautiful historically blackcollege and university, or HBCU
in New Orleans, Louisiana.
It was so significant for mebecause this was the first time
I was ever on an HBCU campus.
And it was the first time Ireally got to embrace the
(07:00):
significance of seeing Blackacademic excellence in real
time.
I got to meet and greet andhonestly just relish in the fact
that I was there.
I had no idea how that wouldchange the trajectory of the
work that I would do withMelinated Moms, literally and
(07:20):
figuratively.
And I didn't know what otherthings would be inspired just
from having such a beautifulconnection to this amazing
network of women.
Dr.
Jasmine has been such anamazing support from the first
day I met her.
So as I was giving her moreinsight on my concepts of how
Melinated Moms would change theworld through maternal health
(07:42):
equity, she just muttered thephrase, it sounds like you're
working with moms in themargins.
And I was like, wait a minute,what does that mean?
And she told me when we thinkabout what marginalization is
and how it relates to the thingsthat mothers need, especially
black moms, it leaves us out andit takes away our ability to
(08:05):
really be able to thrive in ourmotherhood.
Black moms aren't often giventhe luxury of enjoying their
motherhood.
They're only surviving it.
So that marginalization, ittracks, honestly.
It connects with the reason whyMelinated Moms exist.
It also tracks with the reasonthat Black Ladies in Public
(08:25):
Health exists.
If we don't know that there'srepresentation out there, we
won't know what we can or cannotdo.
So hearing her andunderstanding how she came to
that conclusion from just metelling her my concept of my
business, I, you know, I justcan never thank her enough.
She also taught me thatmarginalization is not
(08:46):
synonymous with social economicstatus.
So when we stop the thoughtthat you can be marginalized or
you are only marginalized whenyou are poor, less educated, or
in these quote unquote boxes,then we actually lose out on the
opportunity of supporting otherpeople who are in different
(09:08):
areas of marginalization.
I saw the biggest change in thetrajectory of Melinated Mom's
growth during COVID through Dr.
Jasmine Ward.
We saw how each state acrossthe United States had different
data sets for identifying whowere actually being impacted by
COVID.
Jasmine first pointed out if weare leaving off the necessity
(09:33):
of identifying who or what orwhere people are in terms of
being diagnosed with COVID andreceiving treatment, we're
actually amplifying the issue asopposed to closing the gap.
I didn't think about it in themoment until I saw the data.
So when you are not identifyingblack and brown people in these
(09:56):
data sets, but you're alsosaying that we are
disproportionately impacted byall of these public health
issues.
Where's the proof? Where's thepurpose behind those numbers?
So she was the first person toliterally call that out and
create a COVID-specific map thathighlighted which states
(10:19):
literally left out thatinformation.
With her doing that, thatshined a light on a different
way of us seeing wheremarginalization shows up in real
time in our regular lives.
There were many states who wereso devastated by COVID, but
they have so much missinginformation.
And it actually added to thedevastation in those states.
(10:43):
When I think about how thatapplies to motherhood and in
those same places, we see whenpeople exclude that information,
how that also relates to theirmortality and morbidity rates in
those same states.
So one thing you'll probablyhear me say quite a bit is the
need for qualitative andquantitative data when you're
(11:06):
telling the story, especiallyaround marginalization.
We will often hear differentstate agencies and officials use
the term, we don't know whythis happens, because they're
missing these specific datasets.
If you choose not toacknowledge why we need to be
represented in the data, itactually adds to the problem.
(11:27):
And I think it also goes backto the establishment of Black
Maternal Health Week and whythat in itself is so important.
So if you've never heard ofBlack Maternal Health Week, it's
April 11th to April 17th everysingle year.
It has been a highlyanticipated and celebrated week
of awareness that really bringsmortality and morbidity to the
(11:53):
forefront across the country.
But here at Melinated Moms,we're not just focusing on
mortality and morbidity.
We want to also focus onmaternal vitality.
Doing the work that we'redoing, we get to see how we can
change those narratives throughour partnerships with the
establishment and the expansionof the Momnibus, Black Maternal
(12:14):
Health Caucus, and even in ourown work with our signature
advocacy training, find yourroar, we have been able to
train, implement, and executeadvocacy in places and spaces
that never existed before, wherewe're teaching moms and
families how to use theirpersonal stories to change the
(12:37):
narrative of advocacy and talkto those change makers who can
create larger levels of changethrough public policy and their
own advocacy.
When we make our legislatorsmore aware of the stories, then
we actually get to see it showup in those policies that can
(12:59):
change it.
I saw my own personalconnection to momming in the
margins when I think back to myjourney to motherhood.
I thought that by beingequipped with education and
health insurance, I was in amarriage, I had all of those
traditional things that peoplesay are supposed to exclude you
(13:23):
from being classified as quoteunquote one of those people.
But the concept of one of thosepeople usually comes from
people who don't want torecognize you as a person.
So I had to think about how myown humanity shifted my own
perception of whatmarginalization really, really
(13:45):
looked like.
It actually almost inhibited mefrom even wanting to pursue
motherhood because it was sodamn hard.
And I'm glad I'm stubborn ashell and I pushed through.
But I know that's noteverybody's story.
I also got to see the directrelationship between my personal
story and my work actually as anurse, learning how to advocate
(14:09):
for my patient's needs.
I remember working in thisbeautiful space and asking
patients, you know, your regularquestions.
How are you?
Did you take your medicine?
How was your last appointment?
And realizing that thispatient's diagnosis was more
than just a CPT code orsomething that I studied at
(14:31):
school.
It was actually impacted bytheir whole lived experiences
inside and outside of theclinical room.
So if I'm speaking to a patientand they're saying, I haven't
been able to take my medicinebecause I don't have enough
money for food and I can't takethis medicine without eating
food, I had to take a step backand realize, oh my God, we are
(14:54):
not paying attention to the factthis person is in a space of
food insecurity.
And that is actually what addedto their disparity, not the
other way around.
So just bringing it back to Dr.
Jasmine Ward and why, again,it's important for Black Ladies
in Public Health to be in theforefront of that.
(15:14):
She showed me we have to havelived experiences as a part of
the story of why public healthis important, why people who are
in those numbers are not justnumbers, and also the people who
are analyzing all of this data,how they actually can tell
different parts of the storythat doesn't always show up with
(15:37):
a particular question orfilling in a blank.
I think it could be a hardconcept for us to just accept
that we are one of thosenumbers.
For me, I didn't think I couldbe one of those numbers because
I thought I could only be one ofthose metrics if I am poor or
(15:58):
if I have Medicaid or if I havethese things, because that
justified why marginalizationexists.
But if I'm not aware, even as anurse, that I can still be
marginalized regardless of whatI may or may not have access to,
I'm actually missing the pointentirely.
(16:19):
That adds to my commitment todo this work.
And it makes me so much moregrateful to have mentors and
other women who can show me thatthis isn't just a new thought.
This has been work that we'vebeen doing for a long time.
So before the masses actuallyrecognized black mortality or
(16:42):
morbidity, we've been known.
We've been changing the numbersin the narrative.
But the way that we've beenable to amplify it has always
looked different.
We're considered to be 13% ofthe population.
But how are wedisproportionately almost always
(17:02):
at the top of everybody's listfor a disparity?
We gotta think about that.
I think that's why it's alsoimportant for us to keep our own
numbers and for us to actuallyhave these conversations with
each other because now we havesomething to compare it to.
When we're able to connect withother colleagues and scientists
(17:28):
and families who can tell youabout their experiences, who
aren't looking forgeneralizations, they're not
looking for the objective view,they're giving you the realness.
That's when we see thingschange.
I'm really grateful, sograteful that Jasmine saw the
(17:50):
need for moms in the margins tobe a significant way that we can
change how these numbers arereally impacting us.
And I think the most powerfulpart about that is it allows us
to rethink how we care forourselves.
I've seen how it felt to be apatient who was disregarded or
(18:14):
ignored when I was going throughmy own health journey, but I
had no idea that this wassomething that other people were
experiencing who were in myshoes.
So I want to challenge you as alistener to think about how has
marginalization touched you?
(18:35):
How have you separated yourselffrom marginalization?
And where's the fork in theroad for us to come to a
collaborative space so thatwe're not siloing ourselves out
and creating more othercategories instead of
collaborative opportunities ofshifting the way that we support
(18:57):
moms in the margin.
In many black communities, webelieve that we are powerless.
So if that is your innatecultural perception, it may feel
foreign to you to think thatyou can be powerful.
If you go back to thinkingabout Jim Crow and prior to when
(19:20):
it was like enacted, like itwas literally about survival.
It was literally a dangerouslife or death situation to
highlight that you're smarter,that you're faster, that you're
more articulate, that you have awider range than our white
counterparts.
So it makes sense that it'shard for us to see what power
(19:46):
can look like through us and howpowerful we actually are and
always have been.
It reminds me of this timewhere I participated in this
activity and we were talkingabout the power that existed in
the room.
We talked about the people whoare in our personal and
professional networks, our livedexperiences, all of the things.
(20:09):
And before the end of theexercise, I saw the room go from
this beautiful, wide, blossomedflower to this shrunken,
diminished version of itselfthat literally sucked the power
out of it, out of the room.
The women in that room feltlike they were, they were not
(20:32):
worthy to say that they arepowerful.
And they gave more reasons forwhy they weren't powerful than
why they were.
And I, I had to like take astep back because, you know, who
am I to tell you you'repowerful if you can't see it?
But what I did do, becausey'all know me, y'all know me,
(20:52):
what I did do is say, if youdon't see your power, that's
fine.
But I do.
I do understand the reach Ihave, I do understand what
influence I have, and I'm notafraid of it.
I'm not gonna let other peopledefine who I am and who I am
not.
I've lived my whole life myselfthis whole time.
(21:16):
And I, I appreciate theresponsibility that I have been
given to honor the power andinfluence I've grown to have.
And on top of all of that, Iwanted them to see that I saw
their power, and I see yourpower too.
I think the power thatmarginalization has on us is it,
(21:40):
it makes us dim our light.
But we are here to turn thatlight switch on.
You gotta think about it fromthat space of close mouths,
don't get fed.
Speak up.
Use your voice.
Your voice lights up every roomthat you are in, and every room
(22:01):
that you are in, you aresupposed to be there.
Do not let other people makeyou feel like you are
marginalized in your ownpowerful space.
I know it might feel heavy, butthis is why I'm so passionate
about bringing this to thelight.
When we stand in that light, werealize that we are not alone.
(22:23):
Let's not fear how the marginsdefine us.
Let's find the way thatmarginalization doesn't
determine our destiny.
So you'll hear me make surethat I am tying in my commitment
to this work through creating apledge.
That is my personal way ofcommitting to this work and
(22:46):
standing on it.
At the end of every episode,you'll hear what my pledge is
going to be.
And we always will invite ourguests to take the pledge with
us.
So I challenge you to stand inthat same integrity because this
is how we create the change wewant to see.
So I pledge to remind myselfthat marginalization stops with
(23:12):
me.
I pledge to change the way themargins define me and my
community.
And I pledge to open doors forother black ladies in public
health to be the evidence-baseddata that represents the changes
that we need.
What will your pledge be?
(23:33):
It is through these kinds of conversations where we realize we may all be in the margins, in one way or another. Whenwe can identify those margins,
(23:57):
we remove the stigma, shame, andisolation associated with those
margins.
Then we can actually begin toget the support we need and
allow our community to be therefor us.
We are only touching the tip ofthe iceberg this season with
the idea of momming in themargins.
But I look forward to exploringas much of it as we can with
(24:20):
y'all.
So I'm gonna wrap this up fornow, and I can't wait to see you
on our next episode.
Thank you so much for joiningme and listening.
Melinated Mommy Talks thePodcast is your place for
authentic and raw conversationsabout what it means to be a
melanated mom.
So make sure to subscribe onall of the platforms where you
(24:40):
listen to your favoritepodcasts.
Make sure to like and share.
And if you want to continueseeing our podcast grow, make
sure to become a paid subscriberfor exclusive bonus content or
become a donating listeningsupporter.
I want to give a special thanksto our episode sponsor, Planned
Parenthood of Northern, Central,and Southern New Jersey.
(25:04):
They provide high-quality,affordable, sexual, and
reproductive health careservices at 14 health centers
across the state of New Jersey.
Whether you need birth control,STI testing and treatment, a
wellness exam, cancerscreenings, pregnancy testing,
and options on health education,abortion care, and more, you
(25:27):
can turn to Planned Parenthoodfor the care you need and
deserve.
Learn more at PlannedParenthood.org/ planned
-parenthood- northern-central-southern- new- jersey Whoooo!
(25:47):
That is a mouthful, but it isabsolutely worth your time.
If you're interested in becomingan individual or corporate
sponsor of this podcast, go toMelinatedMoms.
com/ podcast for moreinformation.
We can't wait to have you withus in our next episode.
So keep listening, stayconnected, and stay tapped in.
Hey girl, hey, it's your girl Jaye.
Welcome to season one ofMelinated Mommy Talks, the
podcast, where, as your host, Iwill be talking about and
exploring so many amazing topicswithin the melanated mom's
world.
And sometimes we'll have somepretty dope ass guests to join
in that conversation with me.
(00:36):
This podcast is the birth childof our monthly in-person and
virtual support group.
We realize that all of the momsacross the planet who want to
participate in theseconversations may not ever or
may not always be able to attendour groups.
What better way to include allof you than to bring the
(00:56):
conversation directly to you?
You can listen to theseepisodes and be part of the
conversation anytime that worksfor you.
And you can listen to them asmany times as you want.
This podcast allows us to reachmore moms, birthing people, and
all those folks out there whowant to learn more about all
that we go through andexperience.
(01:17):
This podcast is going to covereverything from the mom journey
to relationships, to how policyand advocacy impact us, to
raising these mini-me's, and somuch more.
So we are so excited to haveyou with us.
If you love the idea of thisvoyage we are about to embark on
(01:38):
with this podcast, then Iencourage you to become a paid
subscriber.
Becoming a paid subscriber isan excellent way to help us keep
this podcast going and growingand improving on our production
quality.
Being a paid subscriber alsogives you access to exclusive
bonus episodes and other contentwe will drop to show our
(02:00):
thanks.
With the launch of the podcast,we have already made our pilot
episode available as a thank youto our subscribers.
This is something we recorded awhile back as we began
exploring the concept of turningour Melinated Mommy Talks live
and virtual groups into apodcast.
It's a great episode where witha group of other melanated
(02:21):
mommies and birthing supportivefolks, we dive into the concept
of Black Mama Magic, whichyou'll often hear me talking
about on this podcast.
I highly recommend that youcheck it out and we absolutely
appreciate the support.
You can get more information onhow to subscribe by clicking
the link in our podcastdescription.
(02:41):
You can also help the podcastby just becoming a listening
supporter if you're notinterested in bonus episodes and
subscribing.
The link to listener supportdonations is also available
through an additional link inour podcast description.
Whether you decide to become asubscriber or listening
supporter, we appreciate you andlook forward to bringing you
(03:02):
excellent content.
Now, this season, girl, I am soexcited for this full season of
Melinated Mommy Talks.
This season, we are going to bediving into the idea of momming
in the margins.
We're going to be defining it,exploring it with some special
guests, and literally justscratching the surface on some
(03:23):
of the ways that moms aremomming in the margins.
So go ahead and pull up yourmetaphorical seat, tap in, and
enjoy this first episode ofMelinated Mommy Talks the
Podcast Show.
(03:50):
Momming in the margins. Whooo! Chile!Such a huge topic for us to be
exploring this season, but I amso excited to shed some light on
this topic and build awarenessaround it.
So let's get started.
What exactly is Momming in theMargins?
So the phrase momming in themargins actually came from one
of our greatest partners, BlackLadies in Public Health.
(04:12):
I was introduced to BlackLadies in Public Health through
one of my greatest mentors, Dr.
Patty O'Brien Richardson.
She was telling me, you'redoing all this work in public
health, but are you reallyconnected to the people who look
like us who are making adifference?
And said, you really need to bea part of this amazing network.
(04:33):
I had no idea what this ladywas talking about.
But I was like, uh, well, helpme understand.
How do I connect to them?
Dr.
Patty sent a warm, welcomingemail between myself, her, and
Dr.
Jasmine Ward.
In that email, she introducedme, she gave her a little
insight on who I was and where Iwas going and what my plans
(04:54):
were with Melinated Moms.
And Dr.
Jasmine embraced me with openarms.
When I connected with her, itwas just like talking to a
sister.
She told me more about why shestarted Black Ladies in Public
Health, who she was as a publichealth professional, and why it
was so important for us to havea platform where other public
(05:14):
health professionals who werewomen, specifically black women,
saw, connected, and supportedone another.
So I said, How do I join?
What do I need to do?
How much does it cost?
Jasmine was very upfront.
She created this beautifulplatform and had more than
10,000 members that werespanning across more than 30
(05:36):
countries, as well as obviouslythe United States.
I felt like a little fish in ahuge pond of beautiful black
women who are doing amazingthings.
But I was wondering, how do Iactually fit into this?
So in my conversation withJasmine, she actually invited me
to come to New Orleans, whereshe was hosting a health
symposium.
(05:56):
And it was actually duringEssence Fest.
So it was my first time goingto Louisiana and my first time
technically going to EssenceFest.
But I was there to meetsomething that was even greater
than what I thought I wouldmeet.
I was meeting a partner.
I was really learning whatdoes it mean to be in a space of
(06:18):
academic excellence, socialimpact, and support with women
who look like me.
I felt like I found my people.
And I found the whole reasonfor having a network that really
embraces all of theintersections of who we are.
And it was highlightedliterally in the name of the
company.
(06:38):
The health symposium was heldat Xavier University, which is a
beautiful historically blackcollege and university, or HBCU
in New Orleans, Louisiana.
It was so significant for mebecause this was the first time
I was ever on an HBCU campus.
And it was the first time Ireally got to embrace the
(07:00):
significance of seeing Blackacademic excellence in real
time.
I got to meet and greet andhonestly just relish in the fact
that I was there.
I had no idea how that wouldchange the trajectory of the
work that I would do withMelinated Moms, literally and
(07:20):
figuratively.
And I didn't know what otherthings would be inspired just
from having such a beautifulconnection to this amazing
network of women.
Dr.
Jasmine has been such anamazing support from the first
day I met her.
So as I was giving her moreinsight on my concepts of how
Melinated Moms would change theworld through maternal health
(07:42):
equity, she just muttered thephrase, it sounds like you're
working with moms in themargins.
And I was like, wait a minute,what does that mean?
And she told me when we thinkabout what marginalization is
and how it relates to the thingsthat mothers need, especially
black moms, it leaves us out andit takes away our ability to
(08:05):
really be able to thrive in ourmotherhood.
Black moms aren't often giventhe luxury of enjoying their
motherhood.
They're only surviving it.
So that marginalization, ittracks, honestly.
It connects with the reason whyMelinated Moms exist.
It also tracks with the reasonthat Black Ladies in Public
(08:25):
Health exists.
If we don't know that there'srepresentation out there, we
won't know what we can or cannotdo.
So hearing her andunderstanding how she came to
that conclusion from just metelling her my concept of my
business, I, you know, I justcan never thank her enough.
She also taught me thatmarginalization is not
(08:46):
synonymous with social economicstatus.
So when we stop the thoughtthat you can be marginalized or
you are only marginalized whenyou are poor, less educated, or
in these quote unquote boxes,then we actually lose out on the
opportunity of supporting otherpeople who are in different
(09:08):
areas of marginalization.
I saw the biggest change in thetrajectory of Melinated Mom's
growth during COVID through Dr.
Jasmine Ward.
We saw how each state acrossthe United States had different
data sets for identifying whowere actually being impacted by
COVID.
Jasmine first pointed out if weare leaving off the necessity
(09:33):
of identifying who or what orwhere people are in terms of
being diagnosed with COVID andreceiving treatment, we're
actually amplifying the issue asopposed to closing the gap.
I didn't think about it in themoment until I saw the data.
So when you are not identifyingblack and brown people in these
(09:56):
data sets, but you're alsosaying that we are
disproportionately impacted byall of these public health
issues.
Where's the proof? Where's thepurpose behind those numbers?
So she was the first person toliterally call that out and
create a COVID-specific map thathighlighted which states
(10:19):
literally left out thatinformation.
With her doing that, thatshined a light on a different
way of us seeing wheremarginalization shows up in real
time in our regular lives.
There were many states who wereso devastated by COVID, but
they have so much missinginformation.
And it actually added to thedevastation in those states.
(10:43):
When I think about how thatapplies to motherhood and in
those same places, we see whenpeople exclude that information,
how that also relates to theirmortality and morbidity rates in
those same states.
So one thing you'll probablyhear me say quite a bit is the
need for qualitative andquantitative data when you're
(11:06):
telling the story, especiallyaround marginalization.
We will often hear differentstate agencies and officials use
the term, we don't know whythis happens, because they're
missing these specific datasets.
If you choose not toacknowledge why we need to be
represented in the data, itactually adds to the problem.
(11:27):
And I think it also goes backto the establishment of Black
Maternal Health Week and whythat in itself is so important.
So if you've never heard ofBlack Maternal Health Week, it's
April 11th to April 17th everysingle year.
It has been a highlyanticipated and celebrated week
of awareness that really bringsmortality and morbidity to the
(11:53):
forefront across the country.
But here at Melinated Moms,we're not just focusing on
mortality and morbidity.
We want to also focus onmaternal vitality.
Doing the work that we'redoing, we get to see how we can
change those narratives throughour partnerships with the
establishment and the expansionof the Momnibus, Black Maternal
(12:14):
Health Caucus, and even in ourown work with our signature
advocacy training, find yourroar, we have been able to
train, implement, and executeadvocacy in places and spaces
that never existed before, wherewe're teaching moms and
families how to use theirpersonal stories to change the
(12:37):
narrative of advocacy and talkto those change makers who can
create larger levels of changethrough public policy and their
own advocacy.
When we make our legislatorsmore aware of the stories, then
we actually get to see it showup in those policies that can
(12:59):
change it.
I saw my own personalconnection to momming in the
margins when I think back to myjourney to motherhood.
I thought that by beingequipped with education and
health insurance, I was in amarriage, I had all of those
traditional things that peoplesay are supposed to exclude you
(13:23):
from being classified as quoteunquote one of those people.
But the concept of one of thosepeople usually comes from
people who don't want torecognize you as a person.
So I had to think about how myown humanity shifted my own
perception of whatmarginalization really, really
(13:45):
looked like.
It actually almost inhibited mefrom even wanting to pursue
motherhood because it was sodamn hard.
And I'm glad I'm stubborn ashell and I pushed through.
But I know that's noteverybody's story.
I also got to see the directrelationship between my personal
story and my work actually as anurse, learning how to advocate
(14:09):
for my patient's needs.
I remember working in thisbeautiful space and asking
patients, you know, your regularquestions.
How are you?
Did you take your medicine?
How was your last appointment?
And realizing that thispatient's diagnosis was more
than just a CPT code orsomething that I studied at
(14:31):
school.
It was actually impacted bytheir whole lived experiences
inside and outside of theclinical room.
So if I'm speaking to a patientand they're saying, I haven't
been able to take my medicinebecause I don't have enough
money for food and I can't takethis medicine without eating
food, I had to take a step backand realize, oh my God, we are
(14:54):
not paying attention to the factthis person is in a space of
food insecurity.
And that is actually what addedto their disparity, not the
other way around.
So just bringing it back to Dr.
Jasmine Ward and why, again,it's important for Black Ladies
in Public Health to be in theforefront of that.
(15:14):
She showed me we have to havelived experiences as a part of
the story of why public healthis important, why people who are
in those numbers are not justnumbers, and also the people who
are analyzing all of this data,how they actually can tell
different parts of the storythat doesn't always show up with
(15:37):
a particular question orfilling in a blank.
I think it could be a hardconcept for us to just accept
that we are one of thosenumbers.
For me, I didn't think I couldbe one of those numbers because
I thought I could only be one ofthose metrics if I am poor or
(15:58):
if I have Medicaid or if I havethese things, because that
justified why marginalizationexists.
But if I'm not aware, even as anurse, that I can still be
marginalized regardless of whatI may or may not have access to,
I'm actually missing the pointentirely.
(16:19):
That adds to my commitment todo this work.
And it makes me so much moregrateful to have mentors and
other women who can show me thatthis isn't just a new thought.
This has been work that we'vebeen doing for a long time.
So before the masses actuallyrecognized black mortality or
(16:42):
morbidity, we've been known.
We've been changing the numbersin the narrative.
But the way that we've beenable to amplify it has always
looked different.
We're considered to be 13% ofthe population.
But how are wedisproportionately almost always
(17:02):
at the top of everybody's listfor a disparity?
We gotta think about that.
I think that's why it's alsoimportant for us to keep our own
numbers and for us to actuallyhave these conversations with
each other because now we havesomething to compare it to.
When we're able to connect withother colleagues and scientists
(17:28):
and families who can tell youabout their experiences, who
aren't looking forgeneralizations, they're not
looking for the objective view,they're giving you the realness.
That's when we see thingschange.
I'm really grateful, sograteful that Jasmine saw the
(17:50):
need for moms in the margins tobe a significant way that we can
change how these numbers arereally impacting us.
And I think the most powerfulpart about that is it allows us
to rethink how we care forourselves.
I've seen how it felt to be apatient who was disregarded or
(18:14):
ignored when I was going throughmy own health journey, but I
had no idea that this wassomething that other people were
experiencing who were in myshoes.
So I want to challenge you as alistener to think about how has
marginalization touched you?
(18:35):
How have you separated yourselffrom marginalization?
And where's the fork in theroad for us to come to a
collaborative space so thatwe're not siloing ourselves out
and creating more othercategories instead of
collaborative opportunities ofshifting the way that we support
(18:57):
moms in the margin.
In many black communities, webelieve that we are powerless.
So if that is your innatecultural perception, it may feel
foreign to you to think thatyou can be powerful.
If you go back to thinkingabout Jim Crow and prior to when
(19:20):
it was like enacted, like itwas literally about survival.
It was literally a dangerouslife or death situation to
highlight that you're smarter,that you're faster, that you're
more articulate, that you have awider range than our white
counterparts.
So it makes sense that it'shard for us to see what power
(19:46):
can look like through us and howpowerful we actually are and
always have been.
It reminds me of this timewhere I participated in this
activity and we were talkingabout the power that existed in
the room.
We talked about the people whoare in our personal and
professional networks, our livedexperiences, all of the things.
(20:09):
And before the end of theexercise, I saw the room go from
this beautiful, wide, blossomedflower to this shrunken,
diminished version of itselfthat literally sucked the power
out of it, out of the room.
The women in that room feltlike they were, they were not
(20:32):
worthy to say that they arepowerful.
And they gave more reasons forwhy they weren't powerful than
why they were.
And I, I had to like take astep back because, you know, who
am I to tell you you'repowerful if you can't see it?
But what I did do, becausey'all know me, y'all know me,
(20:52):
what I did do is say, if youdon't see your power, that's
fine.
But I do.
I do understand the reach Ihave, I do understand what
influence I have, and I'm notafraid of it.
I'm not gonna let other peopledefine who I am and who I am
not.
I've lived my whole life myselfthis whole time.
(21:16):
And I, I appreciate theresponsibility that I have been
given to honor the power andinfluence I've grown to have.
And on top of all of that, Iwanted them to see that I saw
their power, and I see yourpower too.
I think the power thatmarginalization has on us is it,
(21:40):
it makes us dim our light.
But we are here to turn thatlight switch on.
You gotta think about it fromthat space of close mouths,
don't get fed.
Speak up.
Use your voice.
Your voice lights up every roomthat you are in, and every room
(22:01):
that you are in, you aresupposed to be there.
Do not let other people makeyou feel like you are
marginalized in your ownpowerful space.
I know it might feel heavy, butthis is why I'm so passionate
about bringing this to thelight.
When we stand in that light, werealize that we are not alone.
(22:23):
Let's not fear how the marginsdefine us.
Let's find the way thatmarginalization doesn't
determine our destiny.
So you'll hear me make surethat I am tying in my commitment
to this work through creating apledge.
That is my personal way ofcommitting to this work and
(22:46):
standing on it.
At the end of every episode,you'll hear what my pledge is
going to be.
And we always will invite ourguests to take the pledge with
us.
So I challenge you to stand inthat same integrity because this
is how we create the change wewant to see.
So I pledge to remind myselfthat marginalization stops with
(23:12):
me.
I pledge to change the way themargins define me and my
community.
And I pledge to open doors forother black ladies in public
health to be the evidence-baseddata that represents the changes
that we need.
What will your pledge be?
(23:33):
It is through these kinds of conversations where we realize we may all be in the margins, in one way or another. Whenwe can identify those margins,
(23:57):
we remove the stigma, shame, andisolation associated with those
margins.
Then we can actually begin toget the support we need and
allow our community to be therefor us.
We are only touching the tip ofthe iceberg this season with
the idea of momming in themargins.
But I look forward to exploringas much of it as we can with
(24:20):
y'all.
So I'm gonna wrap this up fornow, and I can't wait to see you
on our next episode.
Thank you so much for joiningme and listening.
Melinated Mommy Talks thePodcast is your place for
authentic and raw conversationsabout what it means to be a
melanated mom.
So make sure to subscribe onall of the platforms where you
(24:40):
listen to your favoritepodcasts.
Make sure to like and share.
And if you want to continueseeing our podcast grow, make
sure to become a paid subscriberfor exclusive bonus content or
become a donating listeningsupporter.
I want to give a special thanksto our episode sponsor, Planned
Parenthood of Northern, Central,and Southern New Jersey.
(25:04):
They provide high-quality,affordable, sexual, and
reproductive health careservices at 14 health centers
across the state of New Jersey.
Whether you need birth control,STI testing and treatment, a
wellness exam, cancerscreenings, pregnancy testing,
and options on health education,abortion care, and more, you
(25:27):
can turn to Planned Parenthoodfor the care you need and
deserve.
Learn more at PlannedParenthood.org/ planned
-parenthood- northern-central-southern- new- jersey Whoooo!
(25:47):
That is a mouthful, but it isabsolutely worth your time.
If you're interested in becomingan individual or corporate
sponsor of this podcast, go toMelinatedMoms.
com/ podcast for moreinformation.
We can't wait to have you withus in our next episode.
So keep listening, stayconnected, and stay tapped in.
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