holding onto hope #2: collective care for our youth, doulas as saviors, and the pursuit of police-free public libraries
navigating the chaos with Black women at the forefront of resistance, survival, and transformation
I usually publish this newsletter on Thursdays, but I’m feeling proactive about the positivity this week. Last night, I watched the “Fresh Water” episode of Planet Earth III and was deeply moved by the people in Pakistan who dedicate their lives to protecting and caring for the critically endangered1 Indus River dolphin. I cried at the beautiful reminder that there are countless communities and individuals, all over the world, doing right by the Earth and each other in every moment.
To that end, here are some bright spots — happy updates, good reads, and real inspiration by and for Black women:
Nia West-Bey knows that young people deserve better:
From the psychological toll of ICE stalking teens and abducting parents to the rising rates of youth pushed into poverty and struggling without health insurance, America’s young people are not alright. Dr. Nia West-Bey, executive director at the National Collaborative for Transformative Youth Policy, is calling out the bullshit and demanding urgency from all of us: “For policymakers, advocates, and leaders who do care about young people, now is the time to show it.” You can help support the TYP Collaborative’s collective care fund, which provides young people with emergency assistance.
Doulas are saving Black babies and their parents:
An audit of the Citywide Doula Initiative (CDI) in New York City — which offers free doula support to vulnerable communities, including teen parents and neighborhoods disproportionately affected by Covid-19 — showed improved health outcomes for Black and Hispanic women and birthing people. These two groups are dying from pregnancy-related causes at far higher rates than they give birth, and, together, account for more than 75 percent of these deaths. Participants in the program “experienced better birth outcomes than those in the general population, including for C-sections, low birth weights, and pre-term births.”
I’m (re)sending deep appreciation to my dear friend Annie Wearing, whose loving leadership helped make this program a success and whose heart will help comfort so many parents-to-be 💞
Mariame Kaba and friends are fundraising by foot:
Take a walking tour with ~thee~ Mariame Kaba in NYC this summer!! The first tour, on Saturday, June 21, focuses on Black women in Greenwich Village, and every dollar raised will go to the Parole Prep Project. Stops include the former home of Lorraine Hansberry, a bar where Audre Lorde became a regular, and the club where Nina Simone recorded a live album.
The second tour, centered on radical Black women of Harlem, happens Saturday, July 12, and supports the Brave House. You’ll hear stories of Ida B. Wells, Amy Ashwood Garvey, Pauli Murray, and more.
An invitation for “system-impacted” writers:
The Unicorn Authors Club is accepting submissions for the Bolt Cutters Cohort, a “six-week program for authors who have been incarcerated, jailed, or detained by ICE.” I’m all about elevating the experiences — and voices — of Black women in particular, and this cohort supports writers who’ve lived through these systems.
Applications are open now through July 15;2 the June 17 info session will provide more details about the program and tips for drafting an application.
Interrupting Criminalization shares a new zine:
“...libraries and law enforcement have been intertwined throughout their entire existence,” writes Mariame Kaba. Arrested at the Library: Policing the Stacks traces the complicated history of public libraries, both as sites of surveillance and sanctuaries of resistance. “Libraries offer the possibility of knowledge and self-empowerment to all. Because they are at least potentially a force for equality, and because those in power often view knowledge as dangerous, libraries have sometimes been seen as dangerous themselves.” Read, print, and share this important resource, designed by Micah Bazant.
Like what you read? Buy me a coffee ☻ and follow me on Bluesky.
They were once believed to be extinct.
My birthday FYI 🎂