“I feel like the purpose of this work is really to recreate the village, to re-establish networks, and to create systems of support [for Black parents]. That’s the community piece: bringing the village to the modern environment. Birth is really at the intersection of all the experiences of black people, and the struggles we face.” – Jordyn Gibson, Director of CommUNITY Doulas
CommUNITY Doulas’ mission is to bring longer-term community care support to new and pregnant parents. The project is part of MakeWay’s Shared Platform, and aims to increase and provide doula education, support, and services for marginalized communities, and specifically Black families. We were excited to connect with Project Director, Jordyn Gibson, and find out more about how the project came to be.
“The idea for the project started in 2018,” Jordyn reflected, “I had gone on a ‘find yourself’ trip to the Caribbean and I learned a lot of things about myself. I discovered that I had the desire to be a mom, I wanted to do that in the way that the Caribbeans do it.” During her trip, Jordyn saw a strong sense of community support when it came to raising children, and that same kind of support didn’t feel possible for her in the Canadian context.
“I thought maybe while becoming the kind of Mother I wanted to be, I could support mothers and families more broadly,” she said, “A project like this felt like something that could be done the right away. I’m the daughter of a teenage mom, and I could see how much the family, the village, the whole community helped raise me. I really wanted to see that replicated for the next generation of young people, parents, and Black communities.”
This kind of support is particularly necessary for Black mothers and birthing parents, as they are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than their white counterparts. They are also far more likely to experience postpartum depression. While increasing access to doula care is only one of many solutions to the Black Maternal Health Crisis, it’s a vital answer that is not always understood.
What is a doula, and how do they support new parents? “The doula is really there to support parents in making informed decisions about their care,” Jordyn explained, “it’s like a professionalized aunt.” The support doulas provide is holistic and can be given to families for as long as they need. It can look like giving informed advice around pregnancy, making sure the birthing space is set up the way parents need, providing companionship, helping with chores, monitoring for signs of postpartum, and so much more. “We’re asking questions and providing that space of judgment-free, informational, supportive care.”
Jordyn was recently selected as part of the 2022 Leading Social Justice Fellowship cohort with University of Toronto, which includes leaders from across sectors in the Greater Toronto Area who are working on social justice issues. She named Amanda Ottley (a registered nurse and winner of the Award for Research Excellence in Black Community Impact for her work connecting Black communities to COVID-19 resources) as one of the biggest reasons she applied. They will be part of a research team working to collect race-based data regarding Black maternal health outcomes and birthing experiences. The fellowship runs for six months, and the team will spend that time creating a fundraising kit that will articulate the Black Maternal Health Crisis in Canada and potential solutions.
The Project has many other exciting plans for the future. When thinking about how CommUNITY Doulas wants to grow, Jordyn expressed being inspired by work happening with The Citywide Doula Initiative based in New York. This Initiative aims to train 50 doulas and provide 500 families with doula support as a way to reduce maternal and infant racial inequity and mortality.
“They’re leading really radical, transformative social justice work over there, bringing doulas to priority communities,” Jordyn said, “The New York mayor is behind them and the borough mayor in Brooklyn. I can’t say that we’re there yet, but I’ll do my part now and then we’ll talk. I think where I’m at now is: I’m hungry for a win in this space. I want to see some changes that actually help Black families. Bringing doula care is an easy win for communities. I want to be a part of that win.”
Want to support CommUNITY Doulas? They’re currently running a GoFundMe for funds to launch the first cohort of their program: The Pregnancy Project. It will bring doulas (pregnancy & postpartum, health & wellness support workers) to 10 Black families for 12 months.
You can also donate via their MakeWay page and follow their work so they can continue to serve as one long term solution in nurturing more holistic systems of community-led care in marginalized communities.
MakeWay’s shared platform provides charitable expertise and operational support to a mission-aligned community of environmental and social initiatives, so that they can focus on building strong, vibrant, just communities and a healthier planet.
