The Afiya Center

For 11 years, we’ve been providing a stigma-free space for people in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to get tested for HIV. Thanks to @Dallas Morning News for capturing this year’s event! Read the article: https://lnkd.in/g3n2haM8

We're sending a huge CONGRATS to our Executive Director Marsha Jones, who received her honorary doctorate from Texas Seminary Christian University this weekend! Marsha is a trailblazing HIV activist who has been tirelessly fighting for Reproductive Justice well before she started The Afiya Center in 2008. This honor is so well-deserved.

To all the moms, mamas, MOTHERS, and mother figures out there: we're wishing you a happy Mother's Day! It's the greatest honor to celebrate and support Black mamas through our work. We know this day can be filled with conflicting emotions for folks who have lost the mother figures in their lives or are trying to become a mom, and we're sending love to every single one of you <3

From opening birth centers to creating space for Black youth in the climate justice fight, our grantee partners are doing incredible work nationwide, and we're proud to support them! Check out some recent grantee news ⬇️ "I started Black Girl Environmentalist so that young Black girls and Black gender expansive individuals had a space for them, by them in the climate space," said Wanjiku "Wawa" Gatheru, founder of Black Girl Environmentalist. Read more: https://bit.ly/4bmU5wW "We always try to partner with someone who’s already on the ground in that community and doing some sort of community outreach and advocacy so if folks don’t know us, they have a trusted entry point." -Kelsea McLain, deputy director at Yellowhammer Fund Read more: https://bit.ly/4bc6MuC "[Jeanine] Valrie Logan is a Black midwife. She envisions three rooms in the birth center where people can have their babies in an intimate space," reported Kristen Schorsch, WBEZ Chicago journalist. Read more about Chicago South Side Birth Center: https://bit.ly/3y5w5QL Marsha Jones, Executive Director of The Afiya Center, noted, “While things did change for us, we didn’t have the luxury of wringing our hands trying to wait and see. What we absolutely did know [was] that the needs of Black women would not stop.” Read more: https://bit.ly/4bmU4ZU "With this funding, we’re poised to continue transforming maternal health outcomes in Northeast Ohio and beyond, ushering in a future where every birth is a beautiful and healthy experience,” Jazmin Long, President and CEO of Birthing Beautiful Communities announced. Read more: https://bit.ly/4cE6rlM

It's National Postpartum Awareness Week, so our birth justice team is sharing their fourth-trimester essentials. From a breast pump to ALLL the toiletries, these are some of the items that we encourage new parents to keep on deck. We want to hear from y'all: what are your postpartum must-haves?

🚨Today is the LAST DAY to get your ticket for our RJ Summit this May 🚨 We're bringing activists from across the country to Dallas to center Black womxn in discussions about our rights, health, culture, and so much more. Learn from special guests like RJ founders Loretta Ross, Dr. Toni Bond, and Byllye Avery, human rights activist Deon Haywood, and our Executive Director, Marsha Jones. Don't wait a second longer. Reserve your spot NOW at the link below. https://lnkd.in/gMBXjq_p

Calling all Black Womxn in DFW 🗣️📢 Join us for this years RJ Summit, share this LinkedIn invite to a Black Womxn you Trust!

We got it from our mamas & Don't miss founding members of the Reproductive Justice movement, Loretta Ross, Toni Bond, and Byllye Avery in conversation with our Executive Director Marsha Jones in Dallas this May. Head to the link below to get your ticket now. #TXRJSummit https://lnkd.in/gMBXjq_p

🎬 Join us this Saturday for a powerful film screening of "High Risk", a documentary delving into the high maternal mortality rate of Black women in the US. "High Risk" explores natural methods and best practices to safeguard Black mothers from prenatal to postpartum care. Plus, stick around for a panel of birth workers and advocates discussing vital issues. Let's empower Black women through education and advocacy for themselves and their babies. Don't miss this eye-opening event! #HighRiskDocumentary #MaternalHealth #Empowerment 🌟

We're kicking off #BMHW24 with #BlackDoulaDay 🤎 According to the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), 30% of Black womn reported mistreatment during maternity care. In a medical system where the concerns of Black pregnant people are frequently dismissed, our doulas make sure that we're heard. We're so grateful for every Black doula who creates joyful and safe birthing experiences for Black babies and parents. Interested in learning from doulas? Click the link below to register for a session with full-spectrum doula Sankofa Mama at our Summit! https://lnkd.in/gMBXjq_p https://lnkd.in/gpC-qX5c