Located in the heart of Bedford-Stuyvesant, the Life Wellness Center is dedicated to empowering the Black and Brown community about the importance of health, self-love and nurturing their bodies. (Credit: Courtney Griffin)
Following another death of a Black mother at Woodhull Hospital this fall, doulas in Bedford-Stuyvesant are building supportive communities to address the maternal mortality crisis disproportionately affecting Black women.
Khadija Tudor, licensed doula and co-founder of the Life Wellness Center, says she prioritizes her clients’ mental, spiritual, emotional and physical well-being. As a mother of five who has given birth both at home and in the hospital, she has firsthand experience with the way medical institutions can fail Black mothers.
Tudor uses her platform to provide a space for respite and preventative care, particularly for Black and Brown communities. Through her work, she raises awareness and educates others on the vital importance of caring for both their bodies and minds, in the face of ongoing trauma.
“I am not going quietly into the night,” said Tudor. “I am going to fight like hell that we get resources so we can live.”
Bevorlin Garcia Barrios, 24, died from complications following an emergency cesarean section on Sept. 15, after being sent home despite reporting severe stomach pain and nausea to medical staff, according to The New York Times. This sparked New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams’ declaration of pregnancy-associated deaths as a public health crisis, highlighting its disproportionate impact on Black women due to systemic racism in medical services.
A report from the New York State Department of Health found that between 2018 and 2020, Black, non-Hispanic women had a pregnancy-related mortality rate of 54.7 deaths per 100,000 live births—compared to the 11.2 deaths experienced by their White, non-Hispanic counterparts.
“Our women-majority City Council is made up of mothers, grandmothers and those supporting their partners through pregnancy,” said Deputy Press Secretary at the New York City Council Julia Agos. “The maternal health of mothers and birthing people, especially Black New Yorkers, is a matter of life-and-death that is deeply personal for our members.”
Following Adams’ announcement, the New York City Council voted in favor of Resolution 133-A, which calls on the state legislature to pass a bill that would increase statewide Medicaid reimbursement for eight prenatal and postnatal visits and delivery support services provided by doulas—professionals whose impact in supporting pre-and post-natal care has been well-documented.
The National Institutes of Health reviewed a study conducted by the Dona International Data Project regarding the impact of doulas on maternal and birth outcomes. Researchers observed 1,892 mothers nationally over 13 years. The research, conducted by this leading doula certifying organization, found that doula care was associated with a 7.8% reduction in cesarean births and a 5% decrease in prematurity—concluding that doula support significantly improves delivery outcomes.
This evidence affirms the vital role doulas play in maternal health, said co-founders of Our Bodies Our Births, Michele Akosua Chin-On and Yvonne Khepera Flemming. Outraged by Barrios’ passing, they stressed the importance of their prenatal, birth and postpartum work, viewing Black women not as vessels for childbirth, but as “tender spirits” deserving compassionate care.
Chin-On and Flemming specialize in birth planning, nutrition and education, among other doula services. They advocate for Black mothers in and out of the hospital, ensuring they address their concerns and meet their needs.
Bed-Stuy’s doulas are advocating for individual women who seek their care, as well as for broader systemic legislative changes that will shield Black women from institutionalized medical racism and expand access to their services, including community birth centers.
“We are Black women’s eyes and ears,” said Flemming. “We are the voices that speak to medical staff when they feel they can’t.”
