Liberation Means Health & Safety For All

Dear Aisha,

As we engage our revolutionary imagination to outline the path to liberation, we know that a world with true freedom is one where safety and quality healthcare are ours to fully claim — regardless of the color of our skin, the way we express our gender, or who we love. 

Since our earliest days 40 years ago, the Boston Women’s Fund has supported organizations that are changing systems and offering services to ensure that women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals receive the care and information they need to be safe and well. Among our first-ever grantee partners back in 1984 was a shelter for survivors of domestic abuse, a support network for pregnant Black teenagers, and the first Black-led nonprofit carrying out home births in the nation — an organization whose co-founder, Shafia Monroe, went on to spark a national movement and who you’ll hear from below.

Today, this facet of our work carries on, from our reproductive justice focused grantee partners like Melanin Mass Moms, supporting mothers of color, or Cambridge HEART furthering public safety through alternatives to policing. At a time in our country when mainstream messages and policies seem to question the value of women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals lives, bodies, and well-being, we know that fighting for our health and safety is paramount to a liberated future. Read on for more about our part in this work, our upcoming Reproductive Justice Symposium featuring the latest progressive voices in the movement, and ways you can support grassroots change today.

In Solidarity,

Natanja Craig Oquendo  



Boston Women’s Fund has never been afraid to be the first. While some foundations feel uneasy being the first investor in new grassroots organizations, we’ve always believed that the real risk lies in a reality where life-changing ideas never get the funding they deserve.

In 1984, BWF awarded one of our very first grants to a new organization called the Traditional Childbearing Group (TCBG), the first Black home birth nonprofit organization in the nation. TCBG’s co-founder, Shafia Monroe, would go on to become a legendary force in the Black midwifery movement in Boston and beyond, training thousands of doulas and midwives nationwide.

We met with Shafia to hear more about how BWF’s early investment impacted the midwifery movement and influenced what would become her nationally renown career.

Save the date! Boston Women’s Fund is excited to host a day of learning, awareness building, and rejuvenation as we look at the local and national reproductive justice movements and ask ourselves, “where do we go from here?” April 22 from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm at the Bruce C. Bolling Building Municipal Building in Roxbury.

Featuring a keynote address and fireside chat from the international Queen Mother of Midwifery, Shafia Monroe, this symposium will uplift crucial grassroots perspectives; invite the voices of local officials and philanthropic funders advancing policy, grant opportunities, and social programs; and offer time for wellness and affinity spaces.

Sign up to be the first to know when registration opens! Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to be part of the future of reproductive justice!

Melanin Mass Moms is a network of moms of color working to bridge the gap between community resources and health disparities for mothers of color as they navigate all stages of motherhood. The organization provides mental health resources, postpartum support, and avenues for advocacy aimed to increase access to community-wide resources.

We sat down with Julia Lotin, Executive Director, to learn more about how her postpartum experience inspired her to create the organization that today connects thousands of mothers across the state and what’s next for Melanin Mass Moms.

Cambridge HEART (Holistic Emergency Alternative Response Team) is a community-led alternative safety program meeting public safety needs outside of policing systems. Grounded in transformative and disability justice principles, Cambridge HEART uses a peer-response model to respond to emergency calls prompted by the immediate needs of people in conflict or crisis, including those with mental illness and/or substance use disorders. Cambridge HEART also engages in conflict resolution processes, coordinates mutual aid to support material needs, and works to address the root causes of harm.

Corinne Espinoza, Co-Director at Cambridge HEART, spoke with us about what their work looks like in practice, how the organization is fostering greater safety for women, girls, and gender-expansive individuals in their community and the upcoming launch of their new peer-to-peer support line.

Health and safety is more than being protected from harm or other danger, it also encompasses physical, mental, and social well-being. BWF partners with community organizations and grassroots leaders who uniquely understand the underlying racial, gender, social, and economic conditions and barriers that hold so many back from living healthy and safe lives. 

From advancing Asian women’s health and wellness, to restoring Indigenous food systems, to meeting public safety needs outside of policing systems, BWF supports movements and solutions that are making a healthier and safer life possible for our most vulnerable community members. Join us to continue to make this possible.

Attend Asian Women For Health’s Lunch & Learn

Join us on Friday, February 23 from 1:00-2:00pm EST for our February Lunch & Learn to address the topic of eating disorders, ways to overcome, and resources to help navigate. Asian Women for Health is partnering again with Anise Health to bring their community a workshop that delves into eating disorders and explores the effects pre- and post-COVID-19. Join in discussing the stigmas surrounding eating disorders within the AAPI communit and how it impacts all genders. Register for this free, virtual discussion at this link.

Attend Dominican Development Center’s XVIII International Women’s Conference

As part of their celebration of International Women’s Day, Dominican Development Center's (DDC) conference stands out as the only women’s conference led and coordinated by and for immigrant women. This year’s theme is “Women in the Diaspora: Breaking Barriers.” Through this theme, Dominican Development Center strives to be a beacon of empowerment, solidarity, and inspiration for women from various diasporas worldwide. Their 18th annual conference serves as a crucial platform for sharing stories, challenges, and triumphs, creating a global dialogue that fosters understanding, collaboration, and collective action. Join in on Friday, March 8 from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm at the MA State House! Register at this link. Contact dominicandevelopmentcenter@gmail.com for sponsorship opportunities.

Attend the Trans Youth Summit 2024

The Trans Youth Summit is a free event for youth and young adults (ages 25 and under) who are transgender, nonbinary, and/or gender expansive. This Summit features a keynote speaker, workshops, discussion groups, and free gender-affirming wear! The Summit is organized by BAGLY, Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition, Greater Boston PFLAG, and OUT MetroWest. Trans Youth Summit 2024 is on Saturday, March 23, 2024, at Heath Elementary School in Brookline, MA! Register at this link.

P.S. Are you a supportive adult? The Summit offers a separate track for parents, guardians, and caregivers of transgender youth to provide support, information, resources, and networking.

Attend Abilities Dance’s “Intersections V3” Performance

Abilities Dance Boston presents "Intersections V3", the third installment of a series that highlights BIPOC and disabled artists/activists past and present. Through original choreography/artistic direction by Ellice Patterson and original score by Andrew Choe (who also identifies on the intersections of race and disability), “Intersections V3” brings the interviewees' stories to life with dancers, musicians, and more. In addition, the performance also relate honorees' stories to current bills on the Massachusetts state floor in collaboration with the Disability Policy Consortium. Join in on April 19 and 20, 2024 at 8:00 pm EST at the Multicultural Arts Center in Cambridge, MA for this two-hour event that ensures that none of us at the intersections are left behind. 

Get your tickets at this link.



“Decolonizing Therapy” by Jennifer Mullan, PsyD

“Legendborn” by Tracy Deonn

WE'RE WATCHING

“Abbott Elementary” sitcom series;

“They Cloned Tyrone” Netflix movie

WE'RE LISTENING TO

“Pod Save The People” Hosted by DeRay

“Therapy for Black Girls” Hosted by Dr. Joy Harden Bradford

*Disclaimer: The above media do not reflect the views of Boston Women's Fund and are not endorsed by Boston Women's Fund. These are the items our board and staff are currently engaging with to further their learning and/or rest and find joy.