H.O.O.D. Talk

An ongoing series of dialogue from our founder, Chez Smith.

Is Brenda Better Off Today Than She Was 30 Years Ago?

"Brenda's got a baby, but Brenda barely got a brain. A damn shame the gyrl can hardly spell her name. That’s not our problem, that’s up to Brenda’s family. WELL LET ME SHOW YOU HOW IT AFFECTS THE WHOLE COMMUNITY’”

30 years ago, 2pac introduced us to Brenda. A 12 year old gyrl who was pregnant unsupported and exploited. During this 10th annual Black Maternal Health Week , we must ask ourselves. How much has really changed?

We know the data. Babies born to teen moms face harder odds. Young moms are more likely to drop out of school. Their earning potential shrinks. The cycle tightens.

My name is Chez, and I'm the founder of Gyrls In The H.O.O.D Foundation. I work with Brenda every single day. The names change. The faces change. But the situations? They pretty much say the same.

So I have to ask, is Brenda much better off today than she was back then?

Progress has been made. But let me be clear.

I've been doing this work for over 20 years. And yes, I will say that progress has been made. These conversations are happening more. There's more visibility, more direct intervention, more awareness.

But I could not let Black Maternal Health Week end without bringing real life adolescent experiences back to the center of this conversation. Because they matter. And they are too easy to dismiss. Too easy to sweep under the rug because of the stigma and the judgment that clings to a pregnant Black gyrl.

When talking about Black maternal mortality. Don’t forget about the gyrls.

The statistics on Black maternal mortality are deplorable, and that's exactly why this week exists. But if we're serious about improving outcomes, we have to be honest about something else too:

How are we treating Black girls in our communities and in our households, when they're pregnant? When they're vulnerable? When they make mistakes? When they're abused?

Are we educating them? Are we connecting them to resources? Or are we making shit ten times harder?

And when that baby comes how are we showing up for that child too?

These questions are not separate from the larger conversation about Black maternal health. For us at the H.O.O.D, they are the conversation.

This is a community problem. That means there's a community solution.

So as we close out this Black Maternal Health Week, I'm asking you to look around. Because the next Brenda is already in your life. Maybe you know her as Tasha. Or Keisha. Or Niyah. Or Shay.

When you encounter her and you will, remember that she has a story. Just like you and me.

Be kind, act with love and not judgment.

That's where the community solution starts. With us. With how we choose to show up.

Chez is the founder of Gyrls In The H.O.O.D Foundation, working with young Black gyrls and women for over 20 years.

#blackmaternalhealthweek #adolescentreproductivehealthchicago #girlsinthehood #gyrlsinthehoodfoundation