Unto to Us a Slave is Born - A Perspective on Birth During Slavery in America

Welcome to America......where the land of the free was stolen from the natives and was built on the backs of slaves.Where black mothers die at 3x higher of a rate than white mothers during pregnancy and childbirth...And where our history is hidden just out of our reach.

Did you know that finding imagery of birth of slaves is basically nonexistent?What do we have to show us that we were more than capable of birthing and caring for our birthing mothers, even during a time when our rights were (obviously) removed from us.Nothing.

So, this is my interpretation, based on what little I could find on the subject, of "slave birth".

This imagery is important to ME, because it sheds light to what has been left in the dark.Not only were we fierce birthers, we were fierce mothers.Not only did we mother our own, but we mothered "massa's" children, too.We passed on, from generation to generation, the art of midwifery before midwives even had a name.

So, this Mother's Day, I want to remember and honor those mother's who were deemed by this nation, unworthy savages - property.

Thank you.

I call this series:"UNTO US A SLAVE IS BORN"

Special thanks to my models who helped me execute my vision Clyana, baby Jace, and Gaetane. Ya'll the best.