DBM Episode 38: Raising Transgender Children featuring Jamarah Amani & Michelle

By Crystal Tennille IrbyActivism, Black Mamas Matter, Black Mom Podcast, Black Podcast, Podcast, Raising Transgender Children
Black Mamas Raising Transgender Children Jamarah Amani

SUBSCRIBE NOW:

iTUNES|SPOTIFY|SOUNDCLOUD|GOOGLEPLAY|

STITCHER |iHeartRADIO |PANDORA|YouTube

#DearMama Come celebrate with us.  Celebrate this beautiful mothering journey.  Celebrate with us the powerful legacy of Black motherhood that always offers healing, is abundant in creativity, and expands liberation. We are celebrating Women’s History Month by elevating the radical work of mothers raising transgender children.  In this episode guests midwife Jamarah Amani & Michelle are Black mothers building a Promise Land rooted in equity and love.

SYLLABUS

Church Announcements/Prayer Requests/Praise Reports:

  • Prayers: All who have had COVID and lost love ones to COVID; Frontline workers; Gratitude
  • REGISTER NOW for Crystal’s Writing Workshop: I AM: Writing a Personal/Artist Statement.  This workshop is for artists, leaders, entrepreneurs, anyone who is ready to tell themselves a new story about themselves, anyone ready for transformation, anyone ready move with excitement, anyone writing a cover letter, personal/artist statement, leadership philosophy 
  • NeKisha will be the keynote speaker at Gold Lactation Conference Monday, March 29th.  This is a virtual conference. This keynote is FREE & open to the public. 

Mac & Cheese:

  • Jamarah Amani is a community midwife who believes in the transformative and healing power of birth and that every baby has a human right to human milk. Her mission is to do her part to build a movement for Birth Justice locally, nationally and globally. As a birthworker and advocate, Jamarah has been tackling the epidemics of Black maternal and infant morbidity and mortality for over fifteen years. She is currently the director of Southern Birth Justice Network, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization working to expand the Birth Justice movement and to make midwifery and doula care accessible to all. She is also the founder of National Black Midwives Alliance, the only national professional association specifically for midwives of African descent which recently released the documentary Legacy Power Voice: Movements in Black Midwifery is an intimate three-part documentary that explores the evolution of Black birthing traditions in America. Jamarah is the recipient of the 2019 Trailblazer Award from the City of Miami. She has been featured in a variety of media outlets including PBS, NPR, NBC and publications such as the Miami Times and the South Florida Times among others. She has written for several blogs including the Huffington Post and is currently a fellow of Echoing Ida, a community of Black women and non-binary writers. In addition to parenting four children and jumping in the ocean whenever possible, Jamarah offers midwifery care to families across South Florida and workshops on Birth Justice to organizations across the United States.  Support transgender youth artist by supporting Jamarah’s son Mikah’s work. Mikah Amani is a Black, indie folk/pop artist who currently writes, produces and composes all of his own music. His goal is to get his words out to people in several different forms, with music being just one. 
  • Follow & Support Jamarah: 
  • Michelle is a parent, educator and advocate.  Michelle uses she/her pronouns.  She is the mother of a trans son, AFAB (assigned female at birth). Michelle  is involved locally as a parent facilitator and board member of an organization dedicated to serving families with transgender loved ones.  Parent support groups are critical and provide opportunities to gather information and resources, meet and listen to stories of others and provide support….in a safe, confidential, and non-judgmental space.  She is an advocate at the state and local level, sharing her story to help shape protective rights for Transgender persons within the schools and at the state level. Her son’s privacy is her paramount concern so she uses a pseudonym to protect her son’s identity.
  • Segment Highlights:
    • 25:56 I loved that you assumed the posture of student to learn how to be there for your child – NeKisha
    • 28:00 The most challenging part for me was coming out as the mother of a transgender child & reintroducing my child to world – Ja
    • 31:30 “We have to do a deep deconstruction the social norms we’ve accepted as truths” – Michelle
    • 33:00 “My child coming out as a boy wasn’t the earth shattering part.  I was earth shattered because I thought I was inclusive, liberated and involved.” -Michelle
    • 34:38 “And I had to deal with the guilt of not knowing sooner…and I had to think about how I contributed to some of his challenges or even his delay in accepting it himself which is why I talk about being more gender fluid in our parenting from day one.” – Ja
    • 37:39 “Top 5 things Black Cisgender People Can Do to Support Transgender Youth” – Ja
    • 40:35 Gender, African Cosmology & Language
    • 52:16 The role hair plays in how we gender our children
    • 58:35 “Affirmation is not the goal. Human rights is the goal.  Equal protection under the law is the goal” – Michelle
  • Other Relevant Links
  • Black Mama Say
    • Black Mamas on The Insurrection

⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣INVEST IN US!⠀⁣

Invest in a platform curated by 3 Black women actively cultivating spaces rooted in healing, creativity, and liberation for Black mamas. Help us continue to be #BlackMamaBuilt⠀⁣

SUPPORT OUR SISTER PODS:

INFORMATION & INSPIRATION

Looking for some Black Mama Love, support and connection?  Join the Facebook group Black Moms Connection

Are you a Women of Color interested in starting a podcast?  For information and inspiration join the Women of Color Podcasters Facebook Group

⁣We need more of us feeding us! If you’re a Black woman interested in becoming a lactation consultant check out Nikki & Nikki Lactation Career Consultants

Shop

Twitter | Instagram | Facebook