making sure new moms have access to food, doulas who help before and after birth, transportation, car seats, and even something as mundane and yet essential as shoulder rubs. “There’s a lens that those who are formally educated might not be able to see all the ways to heal,” she says. According to a study published in a 2019 edition of the Reproductive Health Journal, women of color who gave birth in hospitals and expectant mothers who face social, economic, or health challenges reported higher rates of mistreatment. Expectant moms who reported the highest rates included women who had unexpected events like cesareans and those who disagreed with healthcare providers about the right way to care for themselves or their baby. The 2,700 women who participated in the 2019 survey reported being shouted at or scolded by a health-care provider, being ignored, or their requests for help being refused. Some of the expectant moms also reported violations of physical privacy, and health-care providers threatening to withhold treatment or forcing them to accept treatment they did not want. It also found that expectant mothers— no matter their race—were more likely to be mistreated by health-care providers if their partner was Black. The study surmised that how people are treated during childbirth can affect the health and wellbeing of the mother, child, and entire family. For Jackson, it’s basic. “If the mom is thriving, the baby is thriving,” she says. “If mom is stressed, the baby is stressed.”
From left: Jazmir Taylor’s son, Juelz, and Jazmir Taylor PHOTOS COURTESY OF TAYLOR’S FAMILY
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A life cut short azmir Taylor was laid to rest on September 16, following a funeral service at the River Church in South Durham. There were nearly 100 people in attendance, including at least 20 expectant mothers between the ages of 16 and 30 who were part of Taylor’s circle of friends. Whit McWilliams, a doula who recently moved to Durham, attended the memorial service. She has some ideas about what likely happened to the radiant teen. “She was young, Black, and on Medicaid,” McWilliams says. “That weighs on her story. The health-care providers just wouldn’t listen to her.” The words of some of Taylor’s friends that day stuck with her. “The community response at her funeral was heartbreaking but powerful,” McWilliams says. “Those who were pregnant were saying, ‘I need some type of support because what happened to her has scared me.’ And others were saying, ‘Man, this is another thing we have to worry about. We know about police brutality and the street violence that’s always there, but now the medical system isn’t safe for us, either.’” Readers who would like to donate to Jazmir Taylor’s funeral expenses and a trust fund established on behalf of Juelz Taylor can visit https://gf.me/u/yx2rc7. W INDYweek.com
October 7, 2020
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