Mark your Calendars for Saturday April 6th!
Spoken Black Girl Presents: Black Maternal Health is Black Mental Health: A Panel Discussion with Keynote Speaker, Global Maternal Health Scientist, Dr. Shameka Thomas aka Dr. Poetry Speaks Health @dr.poetryspeakshealth who is working at the forefront of the battle for equitable maternal health for all 🙌🏾
Dr. SHAMEKA POETRY THOMAS, PhD, MA (she/her/goddess) is a Global Maternal and Child Health Scientist, Medical Sociologist, International Poet, and Meditation-Yoga Instructor who recently completed the Fogarty International Global Health Fellowship at Harvard University, School of Public Health. As an early-career principal investigator, she finalized her data collection, founding and leading a project called: SICKLE CELL WOMEN & GIRLS (S.W.A.G.) PROJECT OF ACCRA, GHANA, at the Ghana Institute of Clinical Genetics, while living abroad in Ghana for 12 consecutive months. Dr. Thomas also completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) / National Human Genomics Research Institutes (NHGRI)-Bethesda campus, where her scientific research focused on patient perceptions of noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) among Black women with genetic
conditions, such as sickle cell disease. Dr. Thomas earned her Ph.D.in August 2020 from University of Miami, where her dissertation entitled, “Giving Birth in South Florida: A Phenomenological Study on the Pregnancy and Birthing Experiences among Black Women,” was nominated for the Most Outstanding Dissertation award. Dr. Thomas is an alum of Spelman College (a historically Black college for woman), where her research also won the Scholar‐Activism award for being a distinguished global health scholar at the University of California-Berkeley and at University of Cape Town, South Africa. Currently, Dr. Thomas is the Vice President of the Beyond Global Health Anthology and editor on the advisory board for Springer Nature’s Maternal and Child Health Journal. She joins the Ohio State University’s College of Medicine as the Provost Fellow’s Faculty on the tenure track in the Center of Bioethics, focusing on global bioethics, race, and health equity. To learn more about her African-inspired wellness lifestyle brand and travel experiences, subscribe to her YouTube channel @DrPoetrySpeaksHealth
Visit: Drpoetryspeakshealth.com
Dr. Clarissa Francis (she/her/serenity/Dr), known as The Real Hot Girl Doc, is a distinguished leader in Black sexuality education and reproductive justice. With a strong academic background in critical race, gender, and sexuality studies, she advocates for Black women's sexual liberation through the Hot Girl Movement. Beyond academia, she offers expertise in massage therapy, reiki, and conscious erotic touch. Dr. Francis collaborates with colleges, organizations, and community leaders, focusing on awareness and healing among college students, Black women, and youth. In 2022, she published her memoir, "Phreak Like Me," and launched an apparel line promoting the Movement's core values. She currently serves on the WoCSHN Leadership Collective and AASECT's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee, offering speaking engagements, writing, and training on Black sexuality, reproductive justice, and peer education. Dr. Francis aims to dismantle oppressive systems, creating safe spaces for Black women's healing and empowerment. She looks forward to future collaborations in advocacy initiatives.
Emelda (“E”) De Coteau is a loving wife, mama, creative (writer, podcaster, spiritual activist / organizer), and believer seeking God anew in each moment. She leads Pray with Our Feet (PWF), an online community lifting up the intersection of progressive Christian faith and social justice; she co-hosts the PWF podcast with her Mom, Trudy.
Her writing has appeared in Good Faith Media, Spoken Black Girl Magazine, Good Life Detroit, Beautifully Said magazine, The Baltimore Times, and on the Pray with our Feet website where she regularly blogs and shares devotionals on spiritual life. Emelda has also written for women-led organizations: Breaking the Silence...Healing the Pain and Modestine Tea.
She is a certified TSD mindfulness coach, trauma informed mindfulness facilitator, and the founder of When Motherhood Looks Different, an organization which helps Mamas raising neurodivergent kids, and Mamas w. chronic illness center mindfulness and connect in community.
Visit: Whenmotherhoodlooksdifferent
Krystal Ann Camacho is an Afro-Latinx Puerto Rican born and raised in New York City. She was raised by a single mother of six at Wald Houses in the Lower East Side. She knew she wanted to help others and is known for her role in working with families who live in public housing. In 2007 she was a finalist in her college annual speech contest. She holds a BA in Social Science/Psychology from Touro College and is looking to pursue her masters in Urban Studies. She is an Alumni of Root Wounds Words, Penning My Pieces writing workshop. Krystal hopes to inspire BIWOC to be informed about maternal and reproductive health. She is also involved in supporting Women of Color-owned businesses. Her passion is creative writing, blogging, and singing.
This discussion brings together a panel of birth workers, creatives entrepreneurs, maternal health scientists, and maternal mental health practitioners to discuss the challenges that Black women face with maternal health as well as how we can support mental health for Black moms at all stages. We will discuss perinatal and postpartum depression, healing from birth trauma, and advice for new moms finding balance. Mentally and physically healthy moms are essential for giving our families and communities the best start. Join us for an in-depth discussion with our panel of experts.
Registration is Free!
#blackmaternalhealthweek #blackmaternalhealth #sbgmotherhood