SeQuoia Kemp: Reproductive and Environmental Justice
This learning guide provides a brief overview of SeQuoia Kemp’s work. It includes discussion questions to guide conversations and activities for students and learners of all ages.
Created by: Winston Scott, Asia Frantz, Jacob Gedetsis, Sarah Nahar, Brice Nordquist, Hawa Omar, Maggie Sardino, Alexandra Scrivner, Gabriel Smith, Isabel Valentin, and Dominic Wilkins .
Environmental Storyteller Spotlight: Birthworker SeQuoia I. Kemp
SeQuoia I. Kemp is native to Syracuse, NY and has been dedicated to birth work since the age of 14. She is the founder of Doula 4 a Queen–that centers itself around community-based doula practices, and she works to support families before, during, and after birth because she believes they deserve the ‘royal’ treatment. She is also one of the 3 founders of Sankofa Reproductive Health & Healing Center, which was founded to support families on the southside of Syracuse. Both organizations are making positive changes for Black women and women of color in the central New York area. SeQuoia has been recognized for her efforts by New York State, receiving the 2022 Senate Empire Award. Senator Rachel May praised Kemp stating, “SeQuoia Kemp, the founder of Doula 4 A Queen, is a birth worker, an advocate for Black health and wellness, and a health justice activist. Through her practice and advocacy, she is making a positive difference in health outcomes for women of color in Central New York.”
Understanding the Environmental Story & Issue
Reproductive and Environmental Justice
In 1994, a group of Black women activists gathered in Illinois to critique proposed federal health care reform. Calling themselves Women of African Descent for Reproductive Justice, they had concerns with how reproductive rights movements focused almost exclusively on maintaining abortion’s legality. Keeping abortion legal, however, was for many women of color, not enough to ensure reproductive freedom. Having the legal right to contraceptives is not enough if their cost is too high. Additionally, the dominant reproductive and women’s movements often overlooked related issues, such as the lack of adequate pre- and post-natal healthcare and the need for living wages and healthy homes. As a result they proposed the concept of “reproductive justice” as a new way to think about reproductive rights more attuned to broader efforts to achieve social justice.
Several years later, sixteen different women of color organizations formed the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective to help coordinate and champion reproductive justice. Defining reproductive justice as the “right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities,” they continue advocating for deeply-needed policy changes, helping teach and train about reproductive justice, and highlighting the links between reproductive issues and other struggles.
These struggles entwine with the pursuit of environmental justice, or an equitable distribution of environmental goods and bads regardless of race, class, or other social category. Everyday environments, where people live, work, pray, and play, drastically affect health outcomes, including around birth. Here in Syracuse, for instance, air pollution from highway traffic is a major health concern since the I-81 viaducts and exits often abut people’s homes. Lead poisoning from inadequately maintained rental properties constitutes another environmental injustice, with 12% of Syracuse’s Black children having elevated lead levels--doubling the rate among the city’s white communities.
“We can love the place that raised us, and made us who we are. ”
Given all of this, we are still a long way from living in a reproductively-just society. For many, this unacceptable failure is quite literally a matter of life and death. Across the United States, the mortality rate among pregnant people has climbed over the past two decades. Each year, 700 people die during or soon after pregnancy, the large majority of which are preventable. This crisis is especially pronounced among Black women, who throughout the country are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than are white women. In New York State, the disparity in maternal death is even more severe, with Black women five times more likely to die from giving birth. The state’s Department of Health identifies discrimination “as a probable or definite circumstance” in 46% of all pregnancy-related deaths statewide. Babies born to Black parents, meanwhile, are significantly more likely to die before reaching their first birthday.
Rectifying such injustice is of the utmost importance. In part, this involves increased governmental funding. New York State aims to provide an additional $20 million to fund adequate pre- and post-natal care in 2023 while greatly increasing postpartum Medicaid coverage. However, given profit and efficiency’s dominance over equity and human well-being in most U.S. decision making processes (as well as the injustices many marginalized peoples face while seeking healthcare from established sources) we need broader systemic change.
Achieving reproductive justice will require community-based and -building work. Only by attending to all facets of this interconnected problem, from a lack of adequate housing and nutrition to resources which might restore Black people from the emotional and psychological weathering many endure. Groups such as Doula 4 a Queen and Sankofa Heals help organize these efforts with the further hope that “self -determined reproductive wellness can heal generational wounds of oppression and disease and change the overall health for future generations.”
SeQuoia Kemp on Birth Justice, Collaborative Storytelling and Community Eductaion
SeQuoia sees Doula work as an act "of reclaiming something that was historically ours and has been taken from us by institutionalized care… It's a return to the tenets of people within your community, serving you, giving you support emotionally, physically, spiritually. It's a return to taking care of our own to help our community heal."(NPR). With the overturning of Roe V. Wade, SeQuoia realized doula care is needed more than ever in our society. She states that "reproductive justice was a framework developed by Black and Indigenous women who recognized a duty to show up for one another, to defend our right to bodily autonomy and organize for a more just and humane society. My work is built upon that framework and legacy." Drawing on her training and expertise in public health and nursing and her deep and extensive experience with mothers, SeQuoia takes pride in educating and advocating for her community in Syracuse. She aspires to be a homebirth midwife and utilize the past teachings throughout her practice.
Collaborative storytelling is foundational to SeQuoia’s birth and community education and advocacy work. Through dialogue, poetry, song, and movement, she draws out and connects the stories of mothers and birthing people to cultivate awareness, advocate for self and others and develop a community of mutual support. In this way, an individual’s experiences come together with others to make composite stories of struggle, celebration, and birthing justice.
While her focus is on the community of Syracuse, building coalitions means fostering relationships and raising awareness across political and academic institutions about environmental justice and the impact it has on marginalized birthing people. She frequently guest lectures for courses at colleges and universities including: Georgia State University, Colgate University, SUNY Upstate Medical, and University of Rochester.
Some Terms to Know
Reproductive Justice: “A framework developed by Black and Indigenous women who recognized a duty to show up for one another, to defend our right to bodily autonomy and organize for a more just and humane society.” (Source: Swann-Quinn 2022, https://www.wclk.com/2022-08-21/through-community-based-care-doula-sequoia-kemp-advocates-for-radical-change )
Maternal Toxic Zone: Areas that have characteristics that put pregnant people at risk, such as having a lack of access to proper healthcare, experiencing discrimination towards certain identities, and having higher rates of health issues such as cardiovascular disease. (Source: Aspen Ideas, https://www.aspenideas.org/sessions/eliminating-maternal-toxic-zones )
Community-Based Doula: Birth workers who are trained to provide physical, emotional, and informational support to pregnant people before, during, and after birth. These doulas help center the care of pregnant people in communities that are familiar and safe to them, by meeting with pregnant people throughout their journey of pregnancy and beyond. (Sources: Ellmann 2020, https://www.americanprogress.org/article/community-based-doulas-midwives/, DONA International 2014, https://www.dona.org/community-based-doulas/ )
Birth Justice: The belief that pregnant people are “empowered during pregnancy, labor, childbirth and postpartum to make health decisions for themselves and their babies.” (Sources: Black Women Birthing Justice, https://www.blackwomenbirthingjustice.com/birth-justice, Voices for Birth Justice, https://voicesforbirthjustice.org/birth-justice/)
Abolition medicine: Abolition medicine works within the modalities of transformative justice, actively dismantling structural racism within healthcare systems, medical training, and care. It calls for the divestment of all healthcare practices which further contribute to systemic racism and the generational incarceration of marginalized people through the direct implementation of life-affirming systems, narrative medicine, and which directly confronts structural harm. (Sources: https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2022/03/29/viewpoint-what-is-abolition-medicine-and-why-we-must-address-racism-in-embedded-in-our-healthcare-system/ and https://hhive.unc.edu/2021/05/noah-ashenafi-on-abolition-medicine-hhgr/)
Maternal Justice Model: The model of Maternal Justice goes beyond individualized holistic and culturally sensitive care but also serves to implement a framework for addressing wider community and systemic issues which are impacted by social determinants of health and social inequalities. This model advocates for structural change at the state, national, and community level to see to the equitable distribution of resources and availability of doulas and midwives of diverse backgrounds available to all birthing persons. (Sources: https://perinataltaskforce.com/maternal-justice-programs/ and https://everymothercounts.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Advancing-Birth-Justice-CBD-Models-as-Std-of-Care-3-25-19.pdf)
Full Spectrum Doula: A full spectrum doula provides health care and supportive services to birthing persons during pregnancy, during birth, and during postnatal recovery. A full spectrum doula will also provide abortion care, care after a miscarriage, stillbirth, and extended into death care. (Source: https://www.joincake.com/blog/full-spectrum-doula/)
Perinatal Safe Spot: A community hub which connects family members to one another to empower birthing persons to access the knowledge and information which empowers them to make their own childbearing decisions. The Safe Spot also serves to be an emotional care center for childbearing families throughout the birthing and postnatal process. (Source: https://perinataltaskforce.com/membership/becoming-an-officially-sanctioned-safe-spot/)
Discussion Questions
What does environmental justice look like for Black, Indigenous, and non-white families in Central New York?
What have you always wanted to know about birth but are too afraid to ask?
How do we make room for generational healing interpersonally, through our work and affiliated organizations, and at the societal level?
What are ways that knowledge of reproductive justice and maternal care can be shared to people both within and outside of your community?
How have you experienced the power and comfort found that comes from being cared for by people you can see yourself reflected in?
Activities & Prompts
Below are writing prompts and activities for learners of all ages.
Reproductive Justice & Mindfulness: Dialogue on Doulas
Watch the above video on Doulas.
What is a doula?
What does a doula provide their clients that the medical system does not/ chooses not to?
How is a doula’s practice intertwined with and rooted in justice and liberation?
In this video, SeQuoia Kemp says, “Lived experience goes a long way when we’re talking about doula care and maternal health outcomes.”
What is your take away from this quote?
Why do you think lived experience is important to maternal health?
Discussion Questions:
Based on SeQuoia’s discussion of her practice as a doula, what is needed for Black and Indigenous families to experience reproductive and environmental justice?
What historical and present-day realities make doula work so necessary?
How do environmental injustices intersect with reproductive injustices?
What can we do as individuals to support the work of doulas in our communities?
Writing Prompt
How might you write this scene (and/or its message) differently in another medium? Pick any medium you want and imagine trying to create the same effect Corwin does. What can the film do that your medium can’t?
What can your medium do that the film can’t? Every medium has its limits, otherwise each could go on forever. Think about what Corwin includes versus what is not included in the film. What does the film start to be about that you could pick up on to extend its stories?
Sometimes the action that is documented is the story. Equally so, story becomes its own form of action. Think about an event you felt compelled to participate in. What is/are the stories you could make from that? If making a short film or video project, where would you begin? What would you need? Who would you wish to include and why?
Reproductive Justice & the Senses
This activity can either be a writing or drawing exercise. It can also be a self-reflective exercise or spoken exercise. What does environmental and reproductive justice look like? Taste like? Smell like? Sound Like? Feel like?
If in a group, discuss your responses with each other. What similarities and differences do you notice? What aspects of environmental and reproductive justice might you take for granted based on your privileges?
Drawing Reproductive Justice
Divide a piece of paper into three sections. Draw an ideal image of your pregnancy or being a part of the pregnancy experience in the first section. Draw an ideal image of you giving birth or being a part of a birth in the second section. Draw an ideal image of you postnatal or being a part of the postnatal experience in the third section.
Reflect on the drawings. What people are in the drawings? What objects are in the drawings? What differences across the sections do you notice? Based on your drawings, what are some things needed for reproductive justice? (ex: access to healthy foods, support networks, mental wellbeing)
If in a group: Share with each other your drawings. What are the differences and similarities across people's drawings? What would you add to your drawing after seeing other drawings? What needs to happen for your drawings to become a reality??
Call to Action
Contact your NYS Senator, House Representative, and your local assemblyperson and urge them to support the Certified Professional Midwives Licensing Act S310/A7898A
MORE MIDWIVES = SAFER BIRTHS
1) How to find your Senator: https://www.nysenate.gov/find-my-senator
2) How to find your Assembly Person: https://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/search/
2) Call, email and tweet urging them to support this bill
4) Follow @nycpm on instagram and sign up for notifications
Sample Scripts for Calls and Emails:
"Hello, my name is [insert your name] and I am your constituent from [insert city and state.] I am calling to ask you to support the Certified Professional Midwives Licensing Act (bill number S310/A7898A). New York is in an ongoing maternity care crisis which disproportionately affects Black and Brown birthing people. Licensing certified professional midwives is an important step in addressing this and providing more maternity care options in New York. As a (parent/birthworker/constituent) I urge you to co-sponsor the Certified Professional Midwifery Bill (bill number S310/A7898A). Black maternal health and birth justice advocates support this bill and encourage you to as well. Thank you."
Donate to Doula 4 a Queen community Birthworker fund for pregnant people who can not afford doula services and would like support on their birthing journey.
Invite SeQuoia to speak at your organization or college/universities.
Inform your campus community about what’s happening in regard to the Black Maternal Health Crisis.
Selected Additional Resources
Organizations
Black Mamas Matter Alliance (https://blackmamasmatter.org/) aims for “a world where Black mamas have the rights, respect, and resources to thrive before, during, and after pregnancy” by lifting up the voices of Black mothers while advancing policy, research, and community care.
Doula 4 a Queen (https://www.doula4aqueen.com/), which SeQuoia Kemp founded, strives “to reduce racial disparities in maternal and infant health through a community-based model of care” by helping families across Central New York who are seeking to welcome a child.
The National Birth Equity Collaborative (https://birthequity.org/) conducts training and research while providing technical tools and policy advocacy with the aim of optimizing “Black maternal, infant, sexual, and reproductive wellbeing.”
An officially designated “Perinatal Safe Spot” which reflects differing cultural preferences, Syracuse’s Sankofa Center (https://www.sankofaheals.com/) provides reproductive services ranging from doula care and training to counseling and advocacy to yoga and counseling.
Village Birth International (https://villagebirthinternational.org/) seeks to create spaces where “community people can serve their families in the childbearing year.” They currently serve families in Syracuse, New York City, New Jersey, and northern Uganda.
Books
Birthing Justice: Black Women, Pregnancy, and Childbirth, edited by Alicia D. Bonaparte and Julia Chinyere Oparah, brings together scholars, activists, and personal accounts concerning the Black maternal health crisis.
Octavia Raheem’s Gather brings together poems, sayings, and meditation prompts while helping readers find peace with their internal selves.
In 1997, Dorothy Roberts’s Killing the Black Body: Race, Reproduction, and the Meaning of Liberty helped draw wider attention to the systemic abuses faced by Black women throughout the United States. It remains a classic text on these topics.
Loretta Ross’s Reproductive Justice: An Introduction (edited by Rickie Solinger) serves as a thorough, moving primer for understanding reproductive justice and gender politics amidst U.S. racial capitalism.
In Reproductive Rights as Human Rights: Women of Color and the Fight for Reproductive Justice, Zakiya Luna analyzes SisterSong’s efforts to achieve reproductive justice and the complex struggles concerning human rights in the United States.
Undivided Rights: Women of Color Organizing for Reproductive Justice sees Jael Sillman, Marlene Berber Fried, Loretta Ross, and Elena R. Gutiérrez reflect on the reproductive justice movement from the perspective of the women of color leading these struggles.
Multimedia
Held, a chant and meditation linked to here, is based upon Alexis Pauline Gumbs’s Undrowned to provide a way to reflect on what being alive and being human means in the world today.
Tricia Hersey speaks here about “Rest & Collective Care as Tools for Liberation” with Sounds True about the importance of spaces for community rest and healing amidst often overwhelming struggles for justice.
Naima Penniman’s poem “A Love Letter to Future Generations,” which she performs here, speaks to the links between love and hope, children, growing things, and the future.
Scholarly Articles
Crystal M. Hayes, Carolyn Sufrin, and Jamila B. Perritt, “Reproductive Justice Disrupted: Mass Incarceration as a Driver of Reproductive Oppression,” AJPH 110, no. S1 (2020): S21-S24.
Elizabeth Hoover et al., “Indigenous Peoples of North America: Environmental Exposures and Reproductive Justice,” Environmental Health Perspectives 120, no. 12 (2012): 1205422.
Zakiya Luna and Kristen Luker, “Reproductive Justice,” Annual Review of Law and Social Science 9 (2013): 327-352.
Lynn M. Morgan, “Reproductive Rights or Reproductive Justice? Lessons from Argentina,” Health and Human Rights Journal 17 (2015): 136-147.
Melisa Murray, “Race-ing Roe: Reproductive Justice, Racial Justice, and the Battle
