Family regulation systems are so violent and disruptive. Especially in postpartum. Unsurprisingly, they disproportionately impact Black and Brown families throughout this country and the world. The policing of PGM bodies has got to stop. A week old newborn, Mila Jackson, was removed from their family in Texas and they parent’s didn’t know where their baby was for well over two weeks. The CPS call came from their pediatrician of 10 years, Dr. Anand Bhatt, after they chose to offer their baby jaundice care at home under the guidance of their midwife instead of complying with the doctor’s recommendation to get treatment at the hospital.
“She needs to be with her mother. I carried her for 40 weeks for a reason because we’re supposed to be together. We’re still supposed to be together. My body needs her, she needs my body.” - Temecia Jackson #BringMilaHome
Learn more from The Afiya Center who were supporting the family and donate to their legal fund if you can. They were reunited on April 20th, but the ramifications of this harm will no doubt reverberate in their family for some time.
Here are some folks to call and ask why this baby was separated from their mother at such a crucial and vulnerable time in their life:
Dr. Bhatt’s employer: (866) 218-6919
Dallas CPS: (800) 720-7777
Mayor Rachel Proctor: (972) 230-9645
Rep. Carl Sherman: (512) 463-0953
US Rep. Jasmine Crockett: (214) 922-8885
Attorney General Ken Paxton: (800) 252-8011
#JusticeForMilaJackson
If you’re a birthworker and want to learn more about how you can prepare to support your client in the event of them interacting with family regulation systems I highly recommend this RLBC skillshare from Amirah Bashir (she/ella) who has been doing care and healing work for the past 10+ years, including but not limited to social work, mental health, crisis support, harm reduction and navigating social services systems such as CPS, foster care and SSI/disability.
Amirah has extensive experience working with extremely vulnerable populations of folks while navigating systemic oppression. She has worked tirelessly to support and help families and individuals who are especially navigating these systems. Amirah has also been studying an array of healing modalities, including as a reiki and herbal medicine practitioner, that are typically incorporated into her work.Originally from the East Coast, she is transitioning to support folks within the Bay area as a full-spectrum birthworker with emphasis on advocacy, support and principles of harm reduction and postpartum support.
Amirah also co-created a workbook with RLBC that you can download to help birthworkers prepare themselves and pull together resources.
Remember that this is all intrinsicly tied to the *CCPWSD and its goals of subjugation and exploitation for the purpose of wealth hoarding. So keep reading books like:
Keep having conversations with folks, sharing about what you’re seeing and learning and most importantly take care of yourself (get some sunshine, move your body, offer yourself pleasure and rest) and stay connected to community. Don’t believe the lie that we can only survive this in isolation! United we stand.
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