HISTORY OF BLACK MOTHERS IN POWER
Black Mothers In Power (BMIP) was birthed in October 2019 as a grassroots issue campaign with Network Delaware and Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League in Wilmington, Delaware. We hosted our first event as an organization- a 3-part community listening session series at the Wilmington Public Library. We had more than 200 people in attendance.
Our main focus is addressing the disparities in maternal care for Black birthing people in Delaware. This organization is Black women-centered and led. We embrace intersectionality. We seek to center the most marginalized groups of Black birthing people and understand how power systems operate to oppress and violently attack Black bodies, historically and systematically. We are grounded in the human rights framework of reproductive justice.
We are addressing these health disparities through BMIP focus areas: Community Awareness, Community Programming, and Community Organizing. Our focus areas bring together communities, support Black families, and hold elected officials & hospitals accountable for their actions. In 2021, BMIP launched our first Community Based Doula Training program, received funding to start a Postpartum program (look out for it in 2022), and participated in many celebrations to acknowledge Black women and our experiences. 2021 was another amazing year for BMIP; we even received our 501c3 status!
BMIP has a lot of amazing things to offer: check out our state directory of Black Birth workers, get involved by becoming a member, and/or donate to support one of our programs or scholarships! You can learn more at the next Open House.
BMIP is also one of the founders of Delaware’s Black Coalition for Reproductive Health & Maternal Care. The other organizations are Do Care Doula Foundation Inc., Ubuntu Black Family Collective Wellness, and Black & Indigenous Birth workers of Delaware. This coalition is also made of Black individuals in birth work or the reproductive fields. We seek to collaborate and work together to fight for Black women’s bodies in the state of Delaware.
Peace and Protest! We have some big things planned for 2024! Stay tuned!
To check out our upcoming programs/events click here!