Artist’s Statement A Black woman’s body carried more value in the system of slavery than it does today. From its inception, the United States has relied on Black women and their bodies to develop its economy and medical system. Out of that inherently conflicted relationship emerged forms of healing and mutual aid within Black communities. … Read more
Artist’s Statement Psalm for the Mismeasured and Unfit is an original performance written and directed by Cara Page. First performed as a staged reading for Haunted Files, its debut public performance took place at the Barnard Center for Research on Women’s 2019 Scholar and Feminist Conference, “Subverting Surveillance: Strategies to End State Violence.” It is … Read more
Stéphanie Etienne and Tanay Harris are co-founders of the Bloom Collective, a collaborative group of maternal health and wellness practitioners providing community-based perinatal care in Baltimore. In this interview, they describe the joys and challenges of sustaining the radical birth work, its potential to shift birthing outcomes for individuals and families, the personal journeys that … Read more
This interview with Hakima Payne, Founder and Executive Director of Uzazi Village, by Rebekka Dekker, Founder of Evidence Based Birth®, was originally published by Evidence Based Birth® Podcast on August 9, 2023. Transcript This transcript has been edited for clarity. Rebecca Dekker: Hi, everyone. On today’s podcast, I’m so excited to welcome Hakima Payne, Founder … Read more
“The dystopian past inhabits present practices, including the practice of medicine.” – Dána-Ain Davis, Reproductive Injustice The medical profession transforms you. You learn protocols, expectations, a specific demeanor. You learn to relinquish your own personal quirks when approaching a patient. You hide behind a confident stride and a white coat. When discussing health and disease, … Read more
This is a brief reflection on the pedagogical offerings in Dána-Ain Davis’s most recent book Reproductive Injustice (NYU Press, 2019) for those of us who teach about reproduction with a focus on Black reproduction specifically. While there now exists a plethora of quality texts to engage students in deep critical thinking on the complex politics … Read more
Dána-Ain Davis is the author of Reproductive Injustice: Racism, Pregnancy, and Premature Birth (New York University Press, 2019). Virginia R. Dominguez is the author of Anthropological Lives: An Introduction to the Profession of Anthropology (Rutgers University Press, 2020) with Brigittine M. French. Virginia R. Dominguez: You have not always written about the medical world. What led … Read more
This conversation was part of the Helen Pond McIntyre ’28 Lecture delivered by Dána-Ain Davis on her book Reproductive Injustice: Racism, Pregnancy, and Premature Birth (NYU Press, 2019) on October 19, 2022. The transcript has been edited for clarity. Sarah Haley: I have the unfortunate responsibility of following that brilliant talk. It’s daunting to be in … Read more
This issue of The Scholar and Feminist Online was originally conceived under the leadership of Tami Navarro, former Associate Director of BCRW, and Elizabeth Castelli, former Director of BCRW, as a book salon for Dána-Ain Davis’s Reproductive Injustice: Racism, Pregnancy, and Premature Birth (New York University Press, 2019). The event was scheduled for March 24, … Read more
This issue of The Scholar & Feminist Online represents recovery from the effects of the COVID pandemic. In spring 2020 when Barnard, along with most colleges, universities, and schools, abruptly shut down, BCRW faced real questions about how to carry on its work. Within relatively short order, BCRW was able to move all of its … Read more
