Environmental racism and maternal mortality are related forms of systemic violence impacting Black women in the US who have one of the worst birth outcomes of any industrialized nation. My research aims to focus on community responses to these crises, evaluating doulas (non-medical caregivers who provide continuous holistic support) as agents of environmental and individual healing in Saint Louis, Missouri. I will explore how environmental racism impacts the role and practices of doulas, and how doulas act as agents of change in affected communities. By exploring the situated knowledges of doulas, this action-oriented research will assess the value of doulas, with insights for policy, practice and activism in Saint Louis.
I am passionate about this research because it allows me to build on my master’s in Political Ecology from Lancaster University and address some of the issues I have observed in my hometown of St. Louis through my previous work with nonprofits and ongoing activism in the area.
