REBYRTH with Cydney Tucker and Imani Byers

Rebyrth's Cydney Tucker and Imani Byers

Welcome to  the rePRO Film Podcast series, hosted by Asha Dahya. If you haven’t already, sign up to the rePRO Periodical by heading to reprofilm.org where every month you will receive an email packed with repro goodies including this podcast interview, links to articles to keep you up to speed on the latest repro news, the link to watch the short film we are about to discuss, and of course some organizations you should be supporting right now. So let’s get into today’s interview and this month’s theme, Black Maternal Health. February is Black History Month in the United States, and we can’t talk about both the past and present of this country without looking at the pivotal role Black women have played in maternal healthcare and reproductive rights, and also the way Black women and Black bodies have been impacted. From the history of forced sterilization (which still happens in prisons today), to the very present problem of rising maternal mortality rates disproportionately impacting Black mothers, there is a reason why Reproductive Justice, a movement founded by Black women leaders in the 90’s, should be front and center in the larger effort for bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom today. And we will be discussing this.

The film you get to watch this month is called ‘Rebyrth’, by filmmaker Cydney Tucker. This short documentary features Imani Byers, who is an Atlanta-based doula working to save the lives of Black mothers in their journey from pregnancy to motherhood. Her company is called ‘Rebyrth Wellness’, hence the name of the film.

Cydney Tucker is a journalist and documentary filmmaker currently based in New Orleans, Louisiana. She has written, produced, and directed films for CBS News, NBC News, Al Jazeera International (AJ+), and RYOT. Her latest projects include two films with the New York Times Presents’s Hulu/FX documentary series. Her work has been featured in several festivals including SXSW and New Orleans Film Festival. In addition to her professional background, Cydney has asked me to include some additional details about her. She is a self-described Black female with brown skin, dark brown hair that is twisted and pulled back into two low buns. She is wearing gold hoop earrings and a flowered blouse. Cydney is speaking from Chitimacha/Choctaw land, in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Imani Byers is a full spectrum doula providing services in Atlanta & Savannah GA. She has a Masters in Public Health and Social Work and is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) in the State of Georgia. Imani is also a Certified Yoga Instructor, and placenta encapsulation specialist. As shared in the film and on her website, Imani answered the call to birth work as a descendant of birth attendants, and to date has assisted over 30 families on their individual journeys, since starting her business during the height of COVID. 

Be sure to listen all the way through to take note of some important action items toward the end. Now that we have all that housekeeping out of the way, please meet my guests!

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If you haven’t already, subscribe to our monthly newsletter where you will get each episode of the pod straight to your inbox. Learn more at reprofilm.org or at @reprofilm The rePROFilm Podcast is executive produced by mamafilm. Looking forward to bringing you our next conversation!