Digitally Inspired, Locally Radical - The Power of Digital Empowerment

It was on the Internet that I first began to find my voice. I had regular access to it in high school and since I have always found solace in writing, I created an online journal. The support I received from friends and online strangers motivated me to continue to share my feelings and thoughts. My goal at that time became to help others feel less alone by sharing my story in hopes they would find hope in it.

As I became more sophisticated in my Internet use, and much more politically aware, my goal expanded. After realizing through performance poetry that my words leave an impact on others, I was much more intentional about my blogging and writing. I began to write more about my self-esteem issues that came with internalized oppression/racism, my journey in becoming a woman, and my sexual trauma. Being this intentional online and offline connected me to other women who were healing from their past traumas while helping to set other women free. Through making these connections, I was introduced to new ideas about my reproductive health, different ways to process and speak about trauma and ultimately led me to find out about being a doula.

Learning more about my body and delving into pregnancy and childbirth made me use the Internet to find out more about it. Through my online search, I found this organization, Hudson Perinatal Consortium, and saw that there was a fellowship available through which I could afford to be trained as a doula. I loved my choice and quickly immersed myself in learning about birth. I was taught about the healthcare inequities that women of color face in the United States during one of our classes. I was infuriated. I was shocked I didn't know how serious the problem was. I wanted the world to become aware.

In 2011, I took to the Internet again but this time with the mission to raise awareness about the state of women of color in reproductive health and maternal health. I created my project, These Waters Run Deep, which is a multimedia journey into the lives and struggle of Afro-descendant women. Using reproductive and maternal health as a lens, These Waters Run Deep artfully weaves narratives that highlight the socio-political landscape by through which women have learned to endure for generations. It is an advocacy project raising awareness on the condition of women's holistic & maternal health, highlighting Afro-descendant women's experience. It is a sharing of stories and art to celebrate the joy of creation and shed light on the death consuming our communities, with the implication of imagining the possibility of transformation.

The first featured competent of this project is a 13 belly cast-cycle that culminates with a gallery show and reception for the completion of the cycle. The belly casts serve as the talking piece. Volunteer expectant mothers give of their time and energy to participate in creating the belly cast. Afterwards, artist is included in the creation of the final product. The theme of the art on the belly cast are various messages on the conditions of birthing as they fall on the spectrum of life and death. I was able to create a buzz when I was actively working on it from mothers being interested in participating and others curious to know more. The point of this belly cast-cycle is to create beautiful art that celebrates women of color and eventually would be the introduction to conversations about the state of birthing and story-sharing when I reached the point of being able to have gallery showings and panel discussions.

I have also used These Waters Run Deep to write articles about birthing, reproductive health and make myself available as a resource. By going digital, I have been able to contribute on offline empowerment. I have had women read my work and follow me through social media feeling inspired and informed. I know that by being vocal online, I give others courage to be vocal offline. On a collective level then, it is of the utmost importance to make digital communication available for women. I have learned firsthand through my writing and my project that connecting online and not feeling alone is the first step to digital empowerment. I have been able to take the support and voice I found online to strengthen my work and mission offline.