EBB 143 - Birthing in a World with Reproductive Justice with Ihotu Ali, Daniela Montoya-Barthelemy, and Shayla Walker

In this episode, the Minnesota Healing Justice Network is taking over the podcast! In this very important episode, our guest speakers are Ihotu Ali, Daniela Montoya-Barthelemy, and Shayla Walker.

**Content warning** this podcast includes discussion of racial violence and racial health disparities.

Ihotu Jennifer Ali, MPH, LMT (she/her), is an integrative medicine doctor in training and doula with a decade of experience in public health and traditional practices around emotional support, pregnancy, and family and healthy reproductive cycles. Ihotu offers abdominal and craniosacral therapy, herbs and nutrition, birth and postpartum care, with plans to open a healing justice and integrative medicine center for families, children and holistic mental health. Ihotu is the self-published author of "Seven Portal Sky: Afrofuturist Medicine from Minneapolis."

Daniela Montoya-Barthelemy, MPH (she/her) is a queer Chicana from a small town in Northern New Mexico. Daniela’s business, Mama Sin Vergüenza, was born out of her first son's birth and her passion for sexual health and social justice. The services offered reflect her gifts and balancing strategic health research with holistic modalities of care. Over the last years, Mexican Traditional Medicine and somatic psychology practices have become the twin pillars of her service offerings.

Shayla Walker (she/ella) is a Black Dominican American who is a rare Twin Cities native who loves Minneapolis just as much as Saint Paul. Shayla serves as the vision realization advisor of “Our Justice,” a Twin Cities-based reproductive justice organization, that seeks to ensure that all people and communities have the power and resources to make sexual and reproductive health decisions with self-determination.

Ihotu, Daniela, and Shayla discuss talk about the challenges of racial health disparities after the murder of George Floyd and connecting with their community through times of tragedy due to racial violence. They also discuss the importance of cultural connections and ancestral practices in birth work, self care, and wellness.

Learn more about the Minnesota Healing Justice Network here (https://www.mnhealingjustice.com/) along with their resources of other BIPOC providers here (https://www.mnhealingjustice.com/providers).

Check out the MN Healing Justice Network's Solidarity Network, where you can follow and support individual healers here (https://linktr.ee/solidaritynetwork  )

Follow Minnesota Healing Justice Network on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/mnhealingjustice) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/mnhealingjustice/).

Learn more about Autumn Cavender-Wilson, CPM and Yellow Medicine Midwifery here (https://yellowmedicinemidwifery.org).

Follow Daniela's work here: (http://mamasinverguenza.com/)

Follow Minneapolis Indigenous Breastfeeding Support Circle on Facebook.

Learn more about Oily Doula MN here (https://www.oilydoulamn.com/) and follow Oily Doula MN (Rhonda Fellows) on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/oilydoulamn/) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/oilydoulamn/).

Learn more about Britt Jackson and Metro Home Birth here (https://www.metrohomebirth.com/) and follow on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/metromidwiferymn/) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/MetroMidwiferyMN/). Learn more about the Black Home Birth Initiative in Minnesota here (https://www.metrohomebirth.com/black-home-birth-initiative). 

Learn more about Roots Community Birth Center here (https://www.rootsbirthcenter.com/). Follow them on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/rootscommunitybirthcenter/) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/rootsbirthcenter/).

Learn more about Our Justice here (https://www.ourjustice.net/). Follow Our Justice on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/OurJusticeRJ/), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ourjusticerj/) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/OurJusticeRJ).

Learn more about Indigenous Roots here (https://indigenous-roots.org/). Follow Indigenous Roots on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/IndigeRootsCulturalArts/) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/indigeroots/). 

Learn more about Ninde Doulas here (https://www.diw-mn.org/health). 

Learn more about Black Lotus Mothers here (http://blacklotusmothers.org/). Follow Black Lotus Mothers on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/blacklotusmotheringthroughpain/), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/blacklotusmother/?hl=en), and Twitter (https://twitter.com/blacklotusMa). 

Learn more about the Minnesota Prison Doula Project here (https://www.mnprisondoulaproject.org/). Follow the Minnesota Prison Doula Project on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/prisondoulas), Instagram (https://twitter.com/prisondoulas), and Twitter (https://twitter.com/prisondoulas). 

Learn more about Millicent Simenson and Mewinzha Ondaadiziike Wiigaming here (https://www.mewinzha.com/).

Learn more about Everyday Miracles here (https://www.everyday-miracles.org/). Follow Everyday Miracles on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/everydaymiracles.mpls/), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/everydaymiracles.mn/), and Twitter (https://twitter.com/evd_miracles).

Learn more about the Unrestrict Minnesota Campaign here (https://unrestrictmn.org/). Follow Unrestrict Minnesota Campaign on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/UnRestrictMN/), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/unrestrictmn/), and Twitter (https://twitter.com/UnrestrictMN). 

Learn about Nadine Ashby and Doula4All here (https://www.doula4all.com/). Follow them on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Doula4all) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/Doula4all/). 

Learn more about The Radical Doula here (https://radicaldoula.com/).

Learn more about the Cultural Wellness Center here (http://www.culturalwellnesscenter.org/). Follow the Cultural Wellness Center on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/culturalwellnesscenter/).

Learn more and follow Ahava Birthwork on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/ahavahbirthworksorg/).

Learn more about Memphis Choices here (https://memphischoices.org/medical-services/lgbtq-health-services/).