About this Event
The Birth Justice Project represents a landmark effort to center the lived experiences of Black, Indigenous , Latinx marginalized families in shaping equitable reproductive care. Through a community-based participatory research process (CBPR), our anthology documented and elevated narratives that expose local systematic barriers including: predatory use of isolation, medical abandonment, inhumane treatment as well implicit/explicit provider bias. By collecting these testimonies, the Project created a powerful body of evidence that validated the realities of birthing people too often excluded from formal research and policymaking.
In 2022, UT at San Antonio professors Alejandra Elenes, Ph.D and Kirsten Gardner, Ph.D, stepped forward as PIs for Democratizing Racial Justice, a creative research initiative in partnership with community-based organizations across SA. With support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the project established a new vision for higher education grounded in social transformation.
**Project Management Team**
Amanda Onochie, CNP, CHW of AB Community Development Solutions,
Cihuatlatohki Laura Rios-Ramirez, MSOL of De Corazon Circles,
Luissana Santibañez of De Corazon Circles,
Brenda Sendejo, PhD of Brenda Sendejo Consulting
**Co-Authors **
Shaquirra Anderson
Lauren Wallace-Salami
Katrina Freeman
Valerie Morales
Rebecca Vargas
Edaidria Heaggs
Brittany Scott
Enjoli Mallet
Claudy Gutierrez
Brendaly Gutierrez
Maritza Mendoza
Candace Kerr
Turkessa C.Watson
Suani Gutierrez
Fanny Portillo
Lizbeth Chavarria
Jessica Esquivel
Lourdes Terrazas
Agenda
🕑: 12:00 PM
Gallery Walk: Healing Through Storytelling
Info: Take a self-guided tour through the narratives of our Community Ambassadors.
🕑: 12:00 PM
Homemade Vietnamese Lunch
Info: Enjoy a delicious meal prepared by Buddhist Master Thầy Thiện & the Temple monks.
🕑: 12:30 PM
Analysis Dissemination & CER Panel
Info: Learn more about the project and how momentum is continuing through research & community-led coalitions.
🕑: 01:35 PM
State of SA Panel & Surprise Announcement
Info: Special guests will chime in on what's currently happening in the birth justice landscape and what's to come in the very near future.
🕑: 02:30 PM - 03:00 PM
Reception
Info: Engage with Community Ambassadors, Project Partners and fellow guests!
Event venue & nearby stays
Lien Hoa Buddhist Temple (Đạo Tràng Liên Hoa), 5043 Excalibur Drive, San Antonio, United States
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