What is the BREATH Initiative?
We are focused on creating long term changes that will ensure Black individuals are not continuously marginalized and devalued. It will aim to ensure that the Black individuals and infants in the community will have access to health care. By dismantling the various systems of oppression that lead to barriers, Black individuals can have equitable access to care, and therefore potentially reduce health disparities that continue to exist causing harm. While the BREATH initiative can be utilized for various anti-black issue, here at BREATHE Midwives we have created the BREATH Initiative for the purpose of improving Black sexual, reproductive, birthing and infant health outcomes and ending obstetrical racism.
The body, mind, heart, soul and spirit of Black individuals are affected daily from the trauma and effects of systemic racism. This leads to many of the poor health and social outcomes Black individuals, families and the community face. When looking specifically at sexual, reproductive and birthing health, obstetrical racism, bias, the determinate of health, and systems of oppression play a significant role. Many of the believes about black sexual and reproductive health and their birthing bodies stems from the cruel practice of exploration of Black people’s bodies, including forced reproduction, sterilization,and testing . The legacies from these inhuman practices helped shape the understanding and continuous beliefs of explicit and especially implicit (unconscious) bias that many health care practitioners, systems, and intuitions define their policies and actions by. Obstetrical racism affects Black individuals and their infants access to safety and quality care, which leads to poor outcomes.
Acknowledging that there is a disparity and that obstetrical racism exist is not going to change everything. There needs to be action to change the systems and remove the barriers that continue to perpetuate these issues.
Breathing has been linked to positive health outcomes, so we hope through the BREATH initiative people will reclaim their Breath and BREATHE!






support our initiative!
Help the BREATH Initiative reach as many people.