EMBRACe Retreat 2023

Our Stories, Our Power:

Welcome Letter

Welcome to the 1st Annual EMBRACe Retreat: Our Stories, Our Power: Building a Birth Equity Village. We are so happy you are here today.

We are Equity for Moms and Babies Realized Across Chatham (EMBRACe), and we want to improve the health and well-being of all moms and babies in Chatham County.

In Chatham County, it is much more dangerous to have a baby if you are Black or Hispanic/Latina/o/x than if you are White. These differences in outcomes are preventable and together we can change them.

That is what today is about.

We want to have a compassionate and hopeful conversation about what is possible for moms and babies in our community when we join together and free ourselves to dream.

Our aim for the retreat is to create a welcoming and creative space where we are able to “turn toward one another and see through the eyes of the heart” - Kim Pevia. When we do this, we begin to reconnect with ourselves and each other in ways that unlock our potential for radical change.

We invite you to bring your whole self into this space. To be present with each other and open to the process and the experience.

So please leave your titles and affiliations at the door, and settle in for what we hope will be a joyful and energizing retreat.

With gratitude, The EMBRACe Retreat Planning Committee (Alicia, Alisha, Casey, Jen, Karinda, LeAnn, Sam, Terri, and Rachel)

Table Of Contents

WELCOME LETTER

TAB 1: INTRODUCTION

• Table of Contents

• About Today

• About this Binder

• Initial Reflection

TAB 2: EVENT INFORMATION

• Event Agenda

• Meet our Facilitators

• Partners Page

TAB 3: STORY CIRCLES

• What are Story Circles?

• Story Circle Session 1: IT ALL BEGINS AT BIRTH

• Story Circle Session 2: ALL BIRTHS ARE NOT THE SAME

TAB 4: RESTORATIVE PAUSE

• What is a Restorative Pause?

• Restorative Activities Agenda and Providers

TAB 5: LUNCH

• Menu

• Restorative Activities Agenda

TAB 6: FREEDOM DREAMING

• What is Freedom Dreaming?

• Freedom Dreaming Session 1: ENVISIONING OUR VILLAGE

• Freedom Dreaming Session 2: LAYING THE FOUNDATION OF OUR VILLAGE

TAB 7: AFTER PARTY INFORMATION

• Opportunities for Community Connections

TAB 8: EXTRA SPACE

• Networking Pages

• Thank You

About Today

THIS IS NOT A CONFERENCE OR SYMPOSIUM; IT IS A RETREAT.

There will be no lectures, professional titles or hierarchies today. We are here to connect with one another, to learn from one another, to laugh, cry, and dream with one another. Our hope is that everyone who participates will feel something, learn something, connect to something or someone (including yourself), and do something.

We have planned the agenda and developed this binder with this intention in mind.

TODAY, WE WILL ENGAGE BOTH YOUR HEART AND MINDS IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS:

Story sharing. Sharing our stories invites us to see our shared humanity. We begin to recognize ourselves in others’ experiences and to appreciate the differences. Exploring the ways our stories are connected.

Together, we will make meaning of our experiences and identify the forces that shape our experiences.

Freedom Dreaming. We will free ourselves to imagine fantastic possibilities for moms and babies. And then, we will begin to create that hopeful future.

Restorative Pauses. Taking time to pause and connect with ourselves and one another. You choose how. We have activities for settling into our bodies, moving our bodies, and listening to our bodies.

Reflections Wall. Throughout the day you are invited to use the post-it notes on the tables to share your reflections, thoughts, and feelings on our reflections wall.

THESE ARE OUR GROUP AGREEMENTS FOR THE DAY. WE INVITE YOU TO ADD MORE BUT WE START HERE:

1. We give one another permission to speak in rough draft.

2. What happens in the story circle, stays in the story circle (our stories are confidential, the themes and learnings are not).

3. We practice active listening. Be fully present and practice active listening.

4. We invite everyone to be open to the process, the stories, the experience.

5. Take care of yourself throughout the day. Cry, engage with your emotions, move, and step away if you need to.

6. You choose which story you want to tell. Check-in with yourself, decide how deep you want to go. There are some stories you may not feel ready to share, and that’s ok. Choose what feels right today.

ABOUT THIS BINDER

This binder is a source of information, a journal, and a guide for today’s retreat. It provides information about today’s schedule, events, and the wonderful people who are leading each session.

Every session today has a corresponding tab in this binder where you can find details, more information on the relevant topics, and where to go for deeper dives.

There are also six reflection pages. When you get to these pages, we invite you to take a moment to check in with yourself and use the space provided to write down your feelings.

There is also a section for collecting contact information from people you met today and storing other materials you pick up today or in the future.

Initial Reflection

Throughout the binder you will find reflection prompts that invite you to check-in with yourself. These are your space for personal reflection.

One question we repeat in our reflections is about your level of groundedness. Throughout the day we will be inviting you to settle into your body and check-in with and how you are feeling. This is more than an exercise. As Resmaa Menakem writes in My Grandmother’s Hands:

“Few skills are more essential than the ability to settle your body. If you can settle your body, you are more likely to be calm, alert and fully present, no matter what is going on around you. A settled body enables you to harmonize and connect with the other bodies around you, while encouraging those bodies to settle as well. Gather together a large group of unsettled bodies—or assemble a group of bodies and then unsettle them—and you get a mob or riot. But bring a large group of settled bodies together and you have a potential movement—and a potential force for tremendous good in the world.”

REFLECTION PROMPT

Now that you’ve arrived, take a moment to think about how you feel. On the next page, write down any thoughts or emotions you are having as you sit here. Throughout the day you will be invited to check in with yourself.

Beginning now, what is your level of groundedness? 1 being super chill and 5 being ready to scream.

Event Info Tab 2

Event Agenda

8:30-9:00 AM 9:00-9:10 AM 9:10-9:30 AM 9:30-10:45 AM

Check-in/Breakfast

Light buffet breakfast. Please arrive by 8:45 for childcare check-in.

EMBRACe Welcome

Introduction: Our Village, Our Stories, Our Power (Kim Pevia)

Story Circle Session 1: It all begins at birth

Small group story sharing and building connections around the themes of our shared and different experiences of birth.

10:45-11:30 AM

Restorative Pause

Pause and reflect, connect, refresh. Enjoy scheduled restorative activities or just take time to relax and connect with others on their own.

11:30-12:45 PM

Story Circle Session 2: All births are not the same

Small group story sharing exploring the realities that shape birth experiences and a large group activity to begin to see how our stories are woven together.

12:45-1:30 PM

Lunch

Lunch provided. Participants are invited to use this time as another restorative pause. There will be scheduled activities and comfortable places to eat and connect with others.

1:30-2:15 PM

Freedom Dreaming Session 1: Envisioning our village

Building on the themes and lessons from the morning, participants will create a vision for achieving better birth outcomes in our community. The activity will include a handson art project led by artist Lynn Marshall-Linnemeier.

2:15-3:00 PM

Freedom Dreaming Session 2: Laying the foundation of our Village

Participants will be invited to lay the foundation of our village by identifying how we can use our collective power to begin to make our vision a reality.

3:00-4:00 PM

Community Connections and After Party

Programmed activities are officially over but we invite participants to stay and celebrate with us. There will be cake, music, and space to continue the conversation with others.

Meet Our Facilitators

EVENT COFACILITATOR

https://www.kimpevia.org

Kim is an experienced life strategist, a keynote speaker, and a skilled, experiential-styled, workshop facilitator. Born and educated in Baltimore, MD she currently lives in Robeson County, NC where her roots run deep as a member of the Lumbee Tribe. She serves on many local, state and national boards that support community activism and the local economy through arts, food, culture and tourism. She was the President of the Board of Alternate ROOTS, an organization of activist artists in the South. She is a writer and is also the founder of Artist MarketPembroke, providing retail opportunities for local and regional artists in southeastern North Carolina. Her love of community and films led her to curate, in collaboration with Cucalorus, the annual Lumbee Film Festival and the monthly CommUnity Cinema, in partnership with Working Films. Kim is founder and CEO of the company K.A.P., Inner Prizes.

EVENT COFACILITATOR

KIMBERLY M. ALEXANDER MPH

Kimberly M. Alexander, MPH, is a passionate advocate for public health and equity with over two decades experience in health policy, multi-sector partnerships, community engagement, project management and technical assistance. Ms. Alexander earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish with a minor in Chemistry and certificate in Spanish for Business from Wake Forest University and a Master of Public Health degree from the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. Kimberly is an active member of the Partnership for a Healthier Durham Task Force for Racial Equity, former co-chair of the Access to Care Committee, and member of the Project Access of Durham County Board of Directors and Executive Committee. Through her work with the Greensboro Health Disparities Collaborative, Kimberly is a contributing author to a chapter in Racism: Science & Tools for the Public Health Professional, an APHA Press publication released in 2019. She serves as an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Public Health Studies at Elon University.

https://lynnlinn.net

Lynn Marshall Linnemeier has been working in communities both nationally and internationally since 1989. With a focus on collaboration, she has completed numerous community art projects that weave together the importance of ancestry, community building, and memory. She focuses on marginalized communities, offering healing through creative activities that include photography, collage, and large-scale sculptures and murals. Born and raised in Southern Pines, NC, she is a former resident of Atlanta, GA. She currently resides in Red Springs, NC.

Meet The Restorative Pause

Activities Providers:

Kim Caraganis lives in Chatham County on the Rocky River, along with her husband Lewie and their dog, Bro. After retiring from a 30-year career with a non-profit devoted to serving children and families, Kim has turned her focus to another love: teaching yoga. She has taken more than 400 hours of yoga teacher training since 2011, and is a certified yoga teacher through the Yoga Alliance, an organization dedicated to broadening access to yoga and expanding diversity within the yoga community. Kim has been teaching yoga in Chatham County for 13 years. Her students include those who are new to yoga, as well as seasoned practitioners. Kim also volunteers with CORE on their Grants Committee.

CHARISE DELOACH

Charise DeLoach has served her community as a Registered Nurse, helping families welcome new lives into the world since the beginning of her career in labor and Delivery in 2000. She has enjoyed teaching Zumba for the last 12 years as a way to prioritize the practice of movement and share it with others. She went on to pursue a certificate in group exercise instruction as well as kettlebells. In her time away from the hospital, you can find her teaching CardioFusion, Zumba, and Dance classes at her local YMCA.

VIBRANCE

www.YourVibrantHealth.me

Vibrance offers a variety of alternative therapies that support your body’s intelligence to self-heal and realign itself. Addressing issues such as adrenal fatigue, irregular sleep patterns, PTSD, childhood traumas, lack of energy, stress, and more. Using the sound waves of tuning forks to address physical and emotional pain. Far Infrared Sauna releases toxins and heavy metals from the body. The Bemer® mat supports cellular vitality. The Biomat® provides the body with negative ions and far infrared. Crystal Light therapy balances and align your body’s energy centers.

Get your free downloadable gifts by scanning the QR code below.

VIBRANCE

Scan this QR code for more information about the facilitators and providers.

“I’m here to joyfully co-create the next version of your beautiful vibrant self!”

Thank You

TO OUR PARTNERS AND EVERYONE WHO HELPED PUT THIS DAY TOGETHER

A SPECIAL THANKS TO

Their generous grant through the Addressing Maternal and Infant Health Disparities in North Carolina initiative made today’s retreat possible.

Story Circles

DURING THE TWO STORY CIRCLE SESSIONS, WE WILL:

Act Learn Connect

Share stories in small groups (story circles) and talk about the similarities and differences in our experiences; come together as a large group to explore the themes discovered in our stories.

Feel

Respected; supported; heard.

Stories are powerful. Our experiences matter, and whether they are similar or different, our experiences are connected. Our stories help us to understand the causes of excellent and poor outcomes.

Recognize each other in our shared stories; observe the ways our experiences are woven together by the systems and structures we encounter everyday themes discovered in our stories.

“Stories are powerful and deeply a part of who we are. When we center our stories, we open spaces for building trust, community, and shifting culture.”

MICKNAI AREFAINE IN MARTINEZ

What are Story Circles?

Storytelling is a fundamental part of being human. Stories help us connect with one another, make sense of our world, and imagine new possibilities. Story circles are an intentional process for bringing people together in an equitable space where everyone’s story and experiences are honored and validated and no one is above or below- just in community with one another. They are a confidential and non-judgmental space where we can witness our common humanity and make meaning of our shared experiences together.

Scan this QR code for more information about story circles.

“The rules of the story circle are the rules of civil participation in society. You agree to listen. You agree to respect.”

JOHN O’NEAL, FOUNDER OF JUNEBUG PRODUCTIONS AND CO CREATOR OF STORY CIRCLES

IT ALL BEGINS AT BIRTH

9:30 - 10:45 AM

Small group story sharing and building connections around the themes of our shared and different experiences of birth.

STORY CIRCLE SESSION 1 PROMPT

Tell your birth story. Your birth or the one that impacted you.

GO DEEPER

• Birth stories: What Serena Williams’s scary childbirth story says about medical treatment of black women

• Listen to stories of joy and healing in black birth

• Local documentary: “Reclaiming Power: The Black Maternal Health Crisis”

Scan this QR code to find these resources

“Everyone has a birthright to joy, to positivity, to confidence, to respect, to survival, to freedom, to life before, during, and after childbirth.”

This is space just for you. What feelings or themes from this discussion do you want to keep in mind after this event? How did you feel throughout, how do you feel now? What is your grounding number 1-5?

Story Circle Session 2

ALL BIRTHS ARE NOT THE SAME

11:30 AM - 12:45 PM

During this Story Circle, we will begin to explore the realities that shape birth experiences on a personal level and on a larger scale.

STORY CIRCLE SESSION 2 PROMPT

Tell a story about a time when the healthcare system supported or prevented you from receiving (or providing) the birthing care you (your patient/client) needed.

GO DEEPER

• Video about the Roots of Birth Inequities

• Articles about Maternal Care and Preventable Deaths

Scan this QR code to find these resources

Birth equity (noun): “The assurance of the conditions of optimal births for all people with a willingness to address racial and social inequalities in a sustained effort.”

JOIA CREAR-PERRY, MD FACOG, PRESIDENT NATIONAL BIRTH EQUITY COLLABORATIVE

This space is just for you. What feelings or themes from this discussion do you want to keep in mind after this event? How did you feel throughout, how do you feel now? What is your grounding number 1-5?

Tab 4

What is a Restorative Pause?

The Restorative Pause is a time for reflection, connection, grounding and/or to refresh. Please enjoy any of the scheduled restorative activities, take time to connect with others, or relax any way that works best for you.

DURING THIS SESSION, WE WILL: Feel Act Learn Connect

Take time to rest, reflect, and connect with ourselves and others. Recognize the shift in our being that happens when we take time to align our mind, body, and spirit.

Cared for, grounded, restored.

Whether in community or on your own, connect with your body, emotions, and spirit.

Somatics focus on feelings, sensations, experiences, and perceptions of the body. Many self-care and restorative activities are rooted in this concept.

GO DEEPER

• Somatic practices and many free somatic activities (including narrated videos)

• Interview with Resmaa Menakem to learn how somatic healing is a political act

• Information about the Healing Justice movement

Scan this QR code to find these resources

“Caring for myself is not self-indulgence. It is selfpreservation, and that is an act of political warfare.”

Restorative Pause Activities

10:45 -11:30

NURTURE IN NATURE

Nature walks Go Outside & Play Quiet outdoor spaces

QUIET REFLECTION

GENTLE YOGA

With Kim Caraganis outside, weather permitting (Rain plan: Meeting Room A)

NETWORKING INTRO TO SOUND THERAPY

With Vibrance in Meeting Room B

ZUMBA

With Charise DeLoach in Hall B

Tab 5 Lunch Info

NOURISH YOUR MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT

12:45 - 1:30 PM

This is both a Restorative Pause and a lunch break! Like our first Restorative Pause, we encourage you to take advantage of the activities offered, connect with others, or relax anyway that works best for you.

Lunch Menu

Herb roasted Chicken

Cheese Lasagna

Meat Lasagna

Chicken Tacos

Garden Salad

Roasted Vegetables

Rolls and butter

Cookie

MEAL OPTIONS SIDES DRINKS

Lemonade

Sweet Tea

Food provided by JMS Catering

RESTORATIVE ACTIVITIES

Two sessions: 1st at 12:45 PM and 2nd at 1:05 PM

See Restorative Pause Activities in tab 4 for details

Freedom Dreaming

Feel Act Learn Connect

Imagine, freedom dream, create- using a variety of materials create a visual representation of a birth equity village. Produce a collective vision for moms and babies in our community.

Creative, untethered, uncensored, hopeful.

Work together and co-create a bold visual image.

What is Freedom Dreaming?

Freedom Dreaming allows participants to take their imagination to a unique level by encouraging them to reflect on the past and imagine the future of a Birthing Village. These Freedom Dreaming Sessions will focus on what that might look like based on the conversations and exercise from the Story Circles.

“Without new visions we don’t know what to build, only what to knock down. We not only end up confused, rudderless, and cynical, but we forget that making a revolution is not a series of clever maneuvers and tactics but a process that can and must transform us.”

- ROBIN D. G. KELLEY, FREEDOM DREAMS: THE BLACK RADICAL IMAGINATION

Freedom Dreaming Session 1

ENVISIONING OUR VILLAGE

1:30 - 2:15 PM

Using the themes and lessons from the morning, how can we envision and create better birth outcomes in our community? This activity will include a hands-on art project led by artist Lynn Marshall-Linnemeier.

• History and practice of freedom dreaming

• More about the National Equity Project

• Look at this Vogue article from Activist and Filmmaker, Tourmaline

“When we share our freedom dreams, we participate in a type of worldmaking that positions us as architects, engineers, and creatives of a future that we all deserve. It is a practice of interdependence.”

REFLECTING ON FREEDOM DREAMING SESSION 1

Throughout this experience, did you learn anything new, do anything new, or feel anything new? How do you feel, emotionally and physically, right now? What is your grounding number 1-5?

Freedom Dreaming Session 2

LAYING THE FOUNDATION OF OUR VILLAGE

2:15 - 3:00 PM

Participants will be invited to lay the foundation of our village by identifying how we can use our collective power to begin to make our vision a reality.

GO DEEPER

• Listen to a conversation about reproductive justice

• Download the reproductive justice toolkit

• Watch documentary on the reproductive justice fight from the 1970s

• See how the Black Mamas Matter Alliance is Advancing Black Maternal Health, Rights & Justice

• Take a look at the Mamato Village team who are offering safe, compassionate, inclusive, and radical collective care

• Learn more about how the National Birth Equity Collaborative is leading change

“What is reproductive justice? The right to have a child, the right to not have a child and the right to raise your children. Everyone should have that. It’s not that hard to explain -it’s just hard as hell to achieve.”

LORETTA ROSS

“I’m convinced of this: Good done anywhere is good done everywhere. For a change, start by speaking to people rather than walking by them like they’re stones that don’t matter. As long as you’re breathing, it’s never too late to do some good.”

DR. MAYA ANGELOU, AMERICAN POET & CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST

REFLECTING ON FREEDOM DREAMING SESSION 2

Throughout this experience, did you learn anything new, do anything new, or feel anything new? How do you feel, emotionally and physically, right now? What is your grounding number 1-5? How will you stay engaged? What will you take with you?

Tab 7

Community Connections & After Party

Invitation to stay, hang out, and network

3:00 - 4:00 PM

AFTER PARTY RESTORATIVE ACTIVITIES:

• Dance Party in Main Exhibit Hall (kids welcome!)

• Individual therapy sessions with Vibrance in Meeting Room B

• Quiet reflection in Meeting Room A

• Go Outside & Play

• Networking

• Grab some cake provided by Carolina Cravings

• Go to tables and get info from partners (and presents!!)

• Check out info on people you met and those who facilitated today

Extra Stuff Tab 8

Networking

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Networking

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Networking

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Thank You