Shakti Rising and a panel discussion on racial disparities in infant mortality

On September 5th, 2010 at 7:00 pm, Bellymama Midwifery & Venus Rising, in collaboration with The Healthy Start Coalition, and the Power U Center for Social Change, will present Shakti Rising at the Little Haiti Community Center in Miami, Fl. I will be part of a panel discussion on racial disparity in infant mortality rates and how we as a community can reduce this following the performances. Add this date to your calendar. Ticket prices are $10 in advance and $12 at the door, kids under 12 free. More details below...

Shakti Rising features two pregnant dancers as it tells the story of pregnancy and childbirth through multi-ethnic dance forms, percussion, narration and ritual, with a focus on the emotional and spiritual aspects. Despite the universal nature of this experience, outcomes vary greatly by race, with black infants dying 3:1 to white.

In today’s fast-paced, quick fix society, pregnancy has become an annoyance, an illness to be treated, or a pathology fraught with danger at each new turn. Shakti Rising invites you on a different journey of pregnancy ~ one that will open your eyes through the power of movement.

Join us on this day as we remind ourselves, as well as our community, that pregnancy and birth are rites of passage, sacred miracles which involve great challenge and spiritual transformation, connecting us to a distant, primal part of ourselves and a sisterhood that is as old as time.

Following the performance, there will be a panel discussion to enlighten audiences on the racial disparities in infant mortality and how we, as a community, can help to close this gap.

Ticket prices are $10 in advance and $12 at the door, kids under 12 free. Advance tickets are available online at www.paypal.com – "send money" to corina@bellymamawidfery.com. Bring receipt to show.

For more information and tickets, please call 305-308-5900 or 305-308-5900 or email at corina@bellymamamidwifery.com Following the performance, there will be a panel discussion to enlighten audiences on the racial disparities in infant mortality and how we, as a community, can help to close this gap.

Panel Participants:

•     Tamara Taitt: representing Healthy Start--discusses the organization, it's goals, services, history and role in decreasing mortality rates for black infants
•     Sheila Simms-Watson: representing midwives--discusses the profession, philosophy, herstory, with focus on the legacy of black midwives, and how midwifery care improves outcomes,
•     Margaret Hepson: representing BIHPI, discusses the initiative, what has been discovered in terms of what's causing more black infants to die, goals of the initiative, and what's being implemented now.
•     Anjali Sardeshmukh: representing the Power U Center--discusses the organization, services offered, and how it is helping to improve outcomes in the black community.
•     Dr. Spence/Dr. Muir/other OB: representing obstetricians or ACOG: discusses organization/profession, discussing issues in pregnancy/birth outcomes relating specifically to black community, ideas for improving outcomes.