I have an A-type personality and a history of clinical depression. I’ve learned for me to stay in a peaceful and healthy mental state I must be proactive. For me, this looks like waking up with a routine that consist of stretching, reading something short but inspirational, meditating for 20 minutes, and then saying an affirmative prayer before I start my day. Throughout the day, I’m usually constantly on the go. If I get a chance, I love to be in nature. Specifically, I love laying in grass under a tree. It’s the perfect place to nap, read, study, or do any of the things I also do in my morning routine. I also love hugging trees or sitting with my back against a tree. Trees hold so much calming, stable energy. They are a reminder of the calm presence I seek to carry throughout my day. When I make it home from a long day, my favorite way to relax is to watch some feel good tv. My favorites are shows like Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, shows that make me laugh and leave me feeling inspired. Right before bed, a nice relaxing bath with bath salts and bubbles is the perfect treat at the close of a long day. If I remember, I like to meditate one more time to end the day. However, if I forget this second meditation, I don’t feel guilty because I started the day off putting my needs first. I’m so grateful to myself for creating and maintain a practice that honors my relaxation and mental health needs. Kudos to bold for reminding us how necessary this is.

I absolutely love watch Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. It is such an inspiring and feel-good show because we get to watch five passionately gifted people share their talents to enhance the lives of others. To me, this is the meaning of life. Ralph Waldo Emmerson said “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” The irony is, doing these things bring happiness, purpose and meaning to one’s life. In 2018, I began hearing about the mortality and morbidity statistics facing African American women and babies in childbirth. Learning that black women are 3-4 times more likely to die in childbirth and that these stats have been the norm for decades, confused and angered me. Turning anger into action, I became a doula. After my first birth as a doula, I decided I wanted to be a midwife. I realized becoming a Certified Nurse Midwife would allow me to work in the hospital with my target clients as women of color are often considered high risk. I want to be their first line of defense and advocacy in a system that often leaves them feeling voiceless. I hope to foster relationships between hospitals and birth centers that create more birthing options for WOC. Eventually, I’ll build an easy-access birth center that caters to women who struggle finding affordable maternal care. This birth center will include birthing suits, a clinic for neonatal visits, rooms for counseling and support groups for struggling mothers, a lactation specialist, and other resources. I look forward to joining the 3% of African American Midwives in America, sharing my gift and dismantling one unfortunate, but corrigible, statistic at a time.

There are multiple ways society can effectively empower women: from equal pay to mandated paid maternity leave for mothers and spouses, and federally assisted childcare. However, I’m going to focus on the industry that ushers women into motherhood, the industry I’m currently working towards helping to reform; the health care industry. At the peak of my career as a professional ballerina, I suffered several devastating injuries and began to venture into other career fields. With years of self-discovery, I knew my next venture would need to impact the lives of others while, in return, changing and fulfilling my life. Through self-education and an innate curiosity for knowledge, I began learning about the racial disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality. Upon further inquiry, I was shocked to discover that African American pregnant women are three times more likely to die in childbirth than their white counterparts. African American infants are two times more likely to die than their white counterparts. I then spoke with the women in my family about their birthing experiences. The more I listened, the angrier I became; until I channeled that anger into action. I trained as a doula and attended my first birth, where I realized I wanted to be a midwife. In August 2019, I met Jennie Joseph, a seasoned midwife who owns two birthing centers in Central Florida and the only black-owned midwifery school in the nation. Her centers are dedicated to successfully improving birth outcomes for women of color. Immediately, I knew I wanted to carry the torch of building birth centers that model Joseph's "Easy Access" Prenatal Care Clinics around the nation. The very next week, I enrolled in Houston Community College and began my prerequisites. Therefore, it's my goal to use my nursing degree and experience to get my Master's in Midwifery and become a skilled and competent Certified Nurse Midwife, serving those most in need. Thanks to recent media coverage, many now know the horrible statistics facing women of color. However, many don't know that suicide is a leading cause of maternal death in developed countries. Mental health needs can adversely affect a mother’s physical health needs and lead to suicide. A mother’s mental health affects infants in a myriad of ways, including lower infant birth rates, higher rates of malnutrition, and stunting. A mother’s mental health can also affect a child’s cognitive, social, behavioral, and emotional development. Efforts to improve maternal mental health should start during pregnancy and continue after birth. We should incorporate a mental health component in all maternal services and health care providers should be trained to recognize symptoms and signs, as well as provide counseling on how to manage stress and offer psychological referrals as needed. After working in Labor and Delivery and fostering relationships with hospitals, I hope to build an easy-access birth center that caters to WOC who struggle to find affordable and natural maternal care. This birth center will include birthing suits, a clinic for neonatal visits, rooms for counseling and support groups for struggling mothers, a lactation specialist, a spiritual center, and resources for physiatrists when needed. Giving birth is a drastic transition with huge hormonal shifts, changes in family dynamics, and financial strains that can often wear on a birthing person’s psyche; especially those from marginalized societies. Every city should have easy access, full-spectrum birth centers like the one I aspire to create, to ensure mothers and babies thrive. I look forward to joining the 3% of African American Midwives in America and dismantling one unfortunate, but corrigible, maternal and mental health statistic at a time.

Born and raised Houstonian here! I also happen to be Houston Ballet's first and only African American Clara in their production of The Nutcracker. That's a huge deal in a predominately Caucasian field, and in a Southern state which is typically considered racist, regressive, or lacking inclusivity. However, Houston is one of the most diverse cities, with a rich arts culture. When I moved to New York, it reminded me of Houston’s diversity but lacked the warmth and hospitality Texans are known for; not to mention their Mexican food and Tex-Mex left much to be desired, but I digress. In 2018, New York City Ballet made headline news for having their first black Clara. I remember wanting to be excited for the young girl, as receiving this role 20 years ago was so exciting for me. However, I couldn’t help but feel there was no way NYC Ballet had just found an African American dancer capable of performing the role in 2018. I knew that in a city as diverse as New York, the only excuse for finally having a black Clara was racism and prejudice. I realized the artistically progressive, inclusive, diverse image that surrounds New York City versus the racist, regressive facade surrounding the South isn’t necessarily true. I love being a Texan because its vast amount of people from rural to city inhabitants make for an amazing melting pot of talent, ideas, and new ways of showing up in the world.

Thanks to recent media coverage, many now know that black women are 3-4 times more likely to die in childbirth than their white counterparts. However, many don't know that suicide is a leading cause of maternal death in developed countries. Mental health needs can adversely affect a mother’s physical health as well as lead to suicide. A mother’s mental health affects infants in a myriad of ways. In addition to lower infant birth rates, higher rates of malnutrition and stunting; a mother’s mental health can also affect a child’s cognitive, social, behavioral, and emotional development. Efforts to improve maternal mental health should start during pregnancy and continue after birth to prevent and manage mental health problems. A mental health component should be incorporated in all maternal services and health care providers should be trained to recognize symptoms and signs suggestive of a mental health problem. Providing counseling on how to manage stress and providing psychological support should be tools readily available in each maternity visit. In 2018, I began hearing about the mortality and morbidity statistics facing African American women and babies in childbirth. Learning the drastic difference in black women’s mortality versus their white counterparts confused and angered me. Turning anger into action, I became a doula. After my first birth as a doula, I decided I wanted to be a midwife. I realized becoming a Certified Nurse Midwife would allow me to work in the hospital with my target clients; as women of color are often considered high risk. I want to be WOC’s first line of defense and advocacy in a system that often leaves them feeling voiceless. Understanding how to assist black mothers in acknowledging and managing mental health issues is the first step in maintaining a healthy pregnancy for mother and child. After a year in Labor & Delivery, I will apply for my Master's in Midwifery. As a CNM, I hope to foster relationships between hospitals and birth centers that create more birthing options and resources for WOC. I hope to build an easy-access birth center that caters to WOC who struggle to find affordable and natural maternal care. This birth center will include birthing suits, a birthing clinic for neonatal visits, rooms for counseling and support groups for mothers struggling with breastfeeding and other issues acclimating to life with a newborn, a lactation specialist, a spiritual center, and resources for physiatrists when needed. When a woman gives birth, she not only births a newborn, she also births a new version of herself. With such a drastic transition, huge hormonal shifts, shifts in family dynamics, and financial strains can often wear on a birthing person’s psyche. Full-spectrum mental and physical support is key. In my new journey as a nurse-midwife, I will screen and provided support for my patient's mental health issues as well as provided exemplary midwifery care. My birth center will act as a center for holistic care: body, mind, and spirit. I look forward to joining the 3% of African American Midwives in America and dismantling one unfortunate, but corrigible, statistic at a time.