by Kisha Nicole Foster

Photograph by Emmanuel Wallace

I recently went to moCa Cleveland for the opening of an exhibit of photos provided by Birthing Beautiful Communities:  Dear. Dear is a tribute to the strength, resilience, and beauty of Black motherhood and the community that supports it. Birthing Beautiful Communities is an organization in Northeast Ohio that holistically supports pregnant women from the time they find out they are with child to the birth and beyond. Their goal is to support equitable birth outcomes in communities that have socio-economic disparities. They also have a book, Born to Be: A Tribute to Black Motherhood. This book can be purchased on the Birthing Beautiful Communities website.

I have a connection to this organization as they assisted me in my birth with my daughter seven years ago. My doula is Verna Darby, and she was there from my knowing I was pregnant to the delivery room, when I gave birth to Love Jones in 2017. She was at the opening on January 24, 2025. We got to reconnect and it was a joy for her to see Love Jones at age 7, knowing she was the one holding my hand and supporting me as I pushed my baby girl out. Without her, I don’t know if I would have been confident in this journey that is learned while doing the work.

(Read the full article at CAN Journal)