Meet Jamarah Amani | Community Midwife, LM

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jamarah Amani and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jamarah, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
I think that every choice or decision we make in life should be met with intention. If we are doing what we should be doing and doing what the Spirit has led us to do, we will definitely keep going, keep fighting. Giving up is not a goal; what truly needs to happen is self reflection so that we aren’t pouring our energies and light into things that are not our mission or purpose.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
The Southern Birth Justice Network is a 501 (c)3 based in South Florida. SBJN’s mission is to expand Birth Justice by using storytelling, popular education, and community organizing to improve access to midwifery and doula care. The vision is to make this care accessible to all peoples- especially Black, Brown, youth, immigrant, indigenous, LGBTQ+, low- income and other marginalized communities.

SBJN is set apart in that our organization is Black women & queer-led; we center these marginalized communities in our leadership roles. We follow the principle of Sankofa in embracing the knowledge of our ancestors and elders in order to powerfully exist in the present and teach youth to powerfully lead the charge as well.

SBJN got to where it is today because Ancestor Ada ”Becky” Sprouse had a vision, turned it into reality as Mobile Midwife and passed her baby along to me in 2011. I have always worked in my community to make care accessible for birthing folk, so stepping into Becky’s shoes allowed me to continue to bring access to our people. It was not easy to do this nonprofit work and still work in other capacities to feed my myself and my family but the passion I feel, the visions I have of an Earth where midwifery care is revered and sacred, where birthing people are protected, where the postpartum period is honored, keep me in this fight and in this fight I will stay.

Along the way, I have learned that being unapologetically me is the only way to be. Some days call for protesting, anger and long editorials to denounce white supremacy, others call for relaxation, meditation and being gentle with myself, others call for compassion as I help a laboring family bring a new life and spirit into this world with love, and some call for pure rebellion as I stand in my queerness and acknowledge and honor myself first. I am all of these and standing in that truth has been as freeing as my first time riding on my bike.

I want the world to know that Black people defy oppression but are not defined by it. We fight against as we rise above. It is a painful reality and a beautiful paradox.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
North Beach, then Dania beach, then yet another beach after that. Ethiopian food, meditation in the forest, my favorite green tea coconut milk latte, singing and dancing in a circle of Black femmes, non-binary and trans shapeshifters, and good vibes to end the night. The next days would involve taking in the history and culture of the city through museums, libraries and parks, discovering new and old tidbits about our people that have been intentionally hidden from plain sight. Like Fisher Island which used to be Black owned, and the only beach Black folks were allowed to go to due to segregation.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Bridget “Biddy” Mason was a midwife, nurse and businesswoman who fought for freedom from enslavement and won the legal battle for her own liberation and the liberation of all those enslaved alongside her. She went on to serve her community for many years, through accessible healthcare, becoming a millionaire and a philanthropist. Biddy Mason is the supreme inspiration for my work and the namesake of my practice Open Hands Midwifery. Her famous quote is, “If you hold your hand closed, nothing good can come in. The open hand is blessed, for it gives in abundance, even as it receives”.

Website: www.southernbirthjustice.org

Instagram: @southernbirthjustice

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/southernbirthjusticenetwork

Twitter: @birthjustice

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/southernbirthjustice/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saC4-0oPOxk

Other: Websites: www.blackmidwivesalliance.org www.legacypowervoice.org IG: @blackmidwivesalliance LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jamarahamani Twitter: @black_midwives Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackmidwives Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DA5_uSh3Dr8

Image Credits
Image Credits: Calvin Early, The Spoken Word Exchange Karyl-Lyn Sanderson, Limitless New Media