Happy Mommies Healthy Kids Outreach: Supporting African American and Minority Mothers
At New Hue Media, we proudly introduce our non-profit organization, Happy Mommies Healthy Kids Outreach. Our mission is to improve the lives of African American and minority mothers and their children through comprehensive support and community-driven initiatives.
Our Programs and Services
We offer a wide range of programs designed to support maternal health and child well-being, including:
Maternal Health Information: Providing valuable resources and information to help mothers navigate their health and ensure safe pregnancies and deliveries.
Volunteering Opportunities: Engaging community members in meaningful volunteer work to support mothers and children in need.
Community Programs: Organizing health fairs, educational seminars, and support groups for mothers and children.
Health Fairs and Seminars: These events offer free health screenings, educational workshops, and family resources.
Annual Baby Shower Events: These events celebrate new and expecting mothers with essential supplies, support, and a sense of community.
Why Your Support Matters
Our work is vital in addressing the disparities faced by African American and minority mothers. By providing access to health information, resources, and a supportive community, we empower mothers to ensure the health and well-being of their families. However, we need your support to continue our mission and expand our reach.
How You Can Help
Your donations, whether financial or in-kind, significantly impact the lives of the families we serve. Here’s how you can contribute:
Financial Donations: Your monetary contributions help fund our programs, events, and outreach efforts.
2. Product Donations: We need baby supplies, health products, and educational materials for our community programs and events. Please email us to give physical donations.
Join Us in Making a Difference
Together, we can create a healthier, more supportive community for African American and minority mothers and their children. Your generosity and involvement are key to the success of our mission. Thank you for your support!
Contact Us
For more information or to get involved, please contact us directly. Your support helps us continue to serve and uplift our community!
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Jamilah Channel is a proud native of The City Beautiful, Orlando, FL. She is a graduate of the great Bethune Cookman University with a Degree in psychology. She is a DONA (Doulas of North America) and Commonsense Childbirth trained Birth and Postpartum Doula; she is a lactation advocate, a midwife assistant, a Newborn hearing screening technician, and the Lead Family Research Navigator for the HEALthy Brain and Child Development study at the University of Alabama site.
Jamilah is the wife to Andre Channel and the mother of 2 amazing children, her son Ase’ and her daughter Na’ima. Jamilah is very passionate about advocating for individualized maternal health care and the well-being of families during the postpartum period. She finds courage and strength through learning and honoring black history.
She is excited to educate others about the physical and emotional care of an expecting parent before, during, and after childbirth, hoping that one day, it may save a life.
The Root of It All
Understanding the Inception of the Black Maternal Health Crisis
Since the Black maternal health crisis was officially brought to light, we constantly hear the statistic that Black women are 3 times more likely to die during birth and postpartum compared to their white counter parts. It has also been stated that it doesn’t matter their economical or educational status, The only thing that causes them to die at a higher rate is simply the color of the skin that they were born with. Nothing they can change, nothing that can be added or taken away is the single deciding factor on their probability of surviving childbirth.
When presenting these statistics it is rarely accompanied by the cause of why this is happening or even the solution of how this issue can be resolved. The statistic is constantly stated and presented with no thought on how it may actually affect a currently expecting person and their unborn child. “Unless you heal the root of a problem, the pain will not go away. You can hide from it, but the problem stays until you dig deep”. — Leon Brown
Digging deep to the foundation of Obstetric and gynecological care reveals the horrific truth of why the cause of the black maternal health crisis is currently an issue today. The root of it all leads to Dr. James Marion Sims. Sims is considered the “father of modern gynecology” He invented the vaginal speculum and the surgical procedure to repair vesicovaginal fistula which is an issue that causes pain and urine leakage after childbirth. These are great things that have made a difference in women’s health, but the deeper issues are that he used enslaved black women for his research, running test and trials on Anarcha, Lucy, Betsey and other women who weren’t even given the dignity of having their names recorded. We honor them as the mothers of gynecology since their bodies were sacrificed against their will for the advancement of medicine. Sims somehow came up with the notion that black people could endure pain better than their white counterparts. This belief led him to experiment on these women without the use of anesthesia. His misleading thought process has continued through systemic racism and has brought us to the current state that we see in maternal health care today.
Knowing that ancestral trauma is real and can be carried down from one generation to the next my hopes are to leave you with a since of peace and actional steps that can be put to use to end this black maternal health crisis and to reclaim birth to be the empowering and positively life changing experience that I know it to be.
The first thing that can be done is to educate yourself on what your options are when it comes to your care during pregnancy and delivery. Find a pregnancy and childbirth class that is being offered by an unbiased entity like evidence based birth, Lamaze or the Bradley method.
Secondly hire a Doula. A Doula is a birth worker who provides physical and emotional support for expecting and postpartum families. Experienced Doulas have connections to resources and information that can make navigating the maternal health system easier.
Lastly speak up. Rather you feel uncomfortable during a prenatal, you have pain or discomfort and you are not sure about it, you feel mistreated by any type of staff or medical professional please say something, and continue to say something until you are truly heard. You don’t have to suffer in silence physically or emotionally. Your wellbeing is worth way more than the concerns of someone’s feelings being hurt. Remember you are worthy of proper treatment regardless of your skin tone, economical status or your educational level. The simple fact that you are a living and breathing person who is bringing life into this world makes you more than worthy.