Unearthing Tradition

In this episode of “Through Their Eyes”, kuwa jasiri shares a journey of planting “seeds of culture” through an intentional practice of self exploration, solidarity work, and simple ancestral magic.

Authentic Creations Artistic Apothecary, a grassroots collective care team, offers birth teams, spiritual support and herbal hormone therapy to genderqueer People of Culture. As the founding steward, kuwa jasiri is immersed in bringing one’s culture and spirituality back to the process of growing families.

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How are you caring for your mind, body and spirit in pregnancy? This Black Birthing Guide from provides some culturally relevant ways to show up for yourself and your baby. 😌👶🏿💖

Hip hop has always echoed the call for reproductive justice!

In my most recent blog post, Sonically Speaking: 30 Years of Hip Hop & Reproductive Justice, I explore the powerful intersections of a cultural phenomenon and movement through a playlist of iconic tracks.

Swipe left to see how themes of mothering, bodily autonomy, the social implications of being Black in America, and more are woven throughout my favorite genre.

🔹 Bbymutha is the epitome of RJ Tenet #1: the right to decide if, when, and how to have children. They rhyme unapologetically about loving and protecting their babies while also continuing to live her life and pursue her dreams.

🔹 Noname’s song “Bye, Bye Baby” speaks directly to RJ Tenet #2: the right to not have a child and access to preventative healthcare options such as abortion. The artist once said “I feel like whenever I hear people talking about abortion, they typically take the love out of it, as if it can never be a loving act - as if it’s only done out of hate or desperation”.

🔹 RJ Tenet #3 affirms the right to parent our children in safe and sustainable environments free of violence. No one other than Queen herself could paint a vivid picture of pride in her neighborhood while also pointing out the tragedies of “Just Another Day…” in the hood.

🔹 City High’s “What Would You Do?” asks some real ass questions that challenge our perceptions of other people’s realities holding close RJ Tenet #4: the right to personal bodily autonomy.

Check out the rest of the playlist at the 🔗 in my bio and sound off in the comments:

🗣️What songs would you add to the playlist?

🗣️What do you think the next 30 years of hip hop + RJ are going to sound like?

🗣️ Going LIVE 7/31 !!

Join us for “Mothering at Both Ends of the Spectrum” as we explore the insights of two caregivers who have navigated the ups and downs of caring for loved ones through all stages of life.

Did you know that Black women represent an overwhelming majority of caregiving roles in their families and within society?

We gon talk about that and so much more!

Exciting news!! I’m thrilled to announce a partnership with and availability for doula services through the Birth Justice Care Fund.

This initiative aims to support Black and birthing people of color who are pregnant or postpartum and facing financial barriers. With this fund, you can access full spectrum doula services or secure essential items like diapers, wipes, car seats, strollers and breast pumps.

Check out the directory for lactation specialists, birth workers, and mental health providers in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Kentucky 🖤💪🏾

If you’re in Duval, hit me up to learn more about how we can support you on your birthing journey or get you the essential items you need.

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🗣️ A community member needs our support!! 🗣️

A Black pregnant Mama who is due in about a month has been uprooted by domestic violence. She is doing everything she can to secure safe housing and basic items for her family as she starts over after the emotional turmoil of abuse.

🚨Did you know that about 40% of Black Women have experienced domestic violence and they become even more vulnerable when they are pregnant? The intersection between intimate partner violence, racism, and the maternal health crisis is very real!! 🤬

Mutual aid is about not allowing vulnerable people to fall through the cracks. It’s about ensuring safety and protection outside of systems that do NOT serve us.

How to Help:

➡️ Send $ directly to her Cashapp ($oyacreations) or Slime ($Cherise-Doyley)

➡️ Purchase items from her baby registry - the link is in my bio

➡️ Comment and share this post widely for visibility and traction

It’s official ~ I completed the pilot program of 🙌🏾 I felt it before, but this experience has helped me verbalize how and why Jacksonville is so special. Despite the challenges, I’ve seen firsthand the undeniable creativity and brilliance of this city. When I first moved here in 2021, er’body and they mama would say, “Why Jacksonville?” Honestly, I have no idea, but I think the answer is starting to reveal itself and im excited for what’s next 🤗 As the city continues to grow and change I’m committed to doing the same and pouring back into it.

Beyond asanas (poses), I’m working on embodying the fullness of yoga so that I can guide folks in developing an authentic practice themselves. This book right here lays it out plain and simple!

Thank you for recommending this read 😌🪴

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Unearthing Tradition is a verb.

The shirt reads “to explore ancestral traditions that were hidden, lost, or stolen through self discovery and collective reclamation”

That’s what I’m about and that’s my intention in all I do. If you about that life, you might have to get you a shirt too!! 👀

Thinking about launching a tshirt campaign?! Lemme know if you’d get one.

🌱✨May 11th we outside!!! 🌱✨

No, fr… Every 2nd Saturday, I’ll be guiding a morning yoga session at Eartha’s Farm and Market 🌞🧘🏾‍♀️

Step onto the mat and into a world of mindful movement with me!

Class is beginner-friendly and donation based. Sign up at the link in my bio.

🌱👀🌱 Name that herb!!
It’s our friend oatstraw (Avena Sativa) 🌾 a beautiful mood regulator and reproductive system tonic! With regular use this herb can help when something ~ or someone 👀 ~ is on ya nerves.

I was going through a pretty rough bout of depression and a trusted beloved told me to get to know our friend oatstraw and ever since I’ve started incorporating it in my tea blends to restore a sense of calm and ease. There’s so many other beneficial uses 🌾✨ learn more about it for yourself!

And that’s the reason every birther needs a gatekeeper ~ IYKYK 💎

Link in bio to watch/listen to this episode!

As a "Gatekeeper of the Deep South", Whitney "Whit" Williams-Black (she/they) don't play about her community!

In this episode of Through Their Eyes, they offer 💎 after 💎 as they share what it's like reclaiming lineage, caring for families, and navigating the climate of birth in the "Medicine City".

Link in bio to tune in now 💚

held nothing back in our recent interview for Through Their Eyes ✨

From navigating mental health challenges and reclaiming a to saying NO to martyrdom and calling for stronger communal care networks, we take a deep dive into the human behind all the titles.

Tune in and let me know what resonates with you in the comments.

Link in bio ✨

Jazzmine Brooks offers “A Love Letter to Rural Communities” in the first episode of Through Their Eyes ✨

As a full spectrum doula, agitator to healthy equity, badass scholar, and lit Scorpio, Jazzmine is breathing life back into herself as part of her work.

Tune in as she talks about how her journey led her to Iowa where she’s using her 501c3 to funnel resources into the community, while getting closer to her soft life 💅🏾💕

Link in bio to tune in now!

The relaunch of our storytelling series “Through Their Eyes” is coming soon 😎

This series has been my little baby since the beginning of my life cycle facilitator journey and I’m excited to pour new life into it 🌱

There’s wisdom, passion, care, truth and so much possibility in every one of the stories you’ll hear within this series. 

This season, we’re featuring the stories of life cycle facilitators in Central Iowa, North Carolina, New Mexico, and Georgia. 

Sign up for the newsletter on the website for updates ~ link in bio !!

 

Join Us As We Participate in Black Breastfeeding Week!

This is our 2nd Annual "Let-Down Sunday" in which we has been honored to partner with The Magnolia Project!

In between laughs, eats, games, and prizes, you'll have Iya Mystique Hargrove sharing her wealth of Breastfeeding Basics, Overcoming Challenges, and how others can support, along with the author of Melanoid Milk, Ariane Randolph will be diggin' deep as we learn the Ancestral Connection to Breastfeeding While Black!

When
August 27th
Time
3pm - 6pm
Location
The Magnolia Project
5300 N Pearl Street
Jacksonville, FL

Please RSVP as seating is limited!

Let-Down Sunday August 27, 2023 @ 3:00 PM - 5300 N Pearl St, Jacksonville, FL 32208, USA

Most situations within healthcare require us to shapeshift time, whether we realize it or not 🌀 Maybe you have a need that requires immediate attention or perhaps your experience is being rushed and you want to slow things down. In time bending interactions with healthcare systems, here’s some tips… 
 
1. Let’s face it, interacting with some healthcare providers/facilities can be a LOT. Whether you have 5 mins or 60, create some space to transition into and out of care settings.  

2. It doesn’t usually serve you well. Which leads us to… 

3. What is possible at this moment?  What are you here to accomplish? 
Stay focused and make that your priority.

4. Distraction and disconnect are two different things. Stay connected with deep breaths, taking notes, conversation and games with loved ones.

5. Whenever you have the opportunity, use it to activate your voice and engage with your provider.  


Coffee shop hopping today and thinking about how Florida elected officials and others in power are trying to rewrite history. Let’s be clear… Slavery DID NOT benefit my ancestors. Period! 

African people who were enslaved across the Americas were sought out and exploited for their brilliance, mastery of the land, and the many advanced skills they already possessed. Read that again! 

My ancestors were blacksmiths, shoemakers, bricklayers, carpenters, and seamstresses. They were farmers, weavers, medicine people, and herbalists. They ushered new life into the world as midwives long before they were enslaved.

The shirt I’m wearing features the official Black Midwives Day image by artist Bekezela Mguni - "In Honor of the Mothers of Gynecology: Anarcha, Betsey, and Lucy Meet Their Midwives”.

Chattel slavery was a brutal and very inhumane institution. It’s harmful AF for the narrative to be anything but the truth. The story of Anarcha, Betsey, and Lucy is only one example. 

Every Wednesday evening, we gather in resistance to the grind 💚😅🌱
To have a moment to be together and exhale into our humanness. To see each other broken and support one another in putting the pieces back together. That takes vulnerability that only surrender can make space for. So much of resisting the grind of capitalism is about surrendering to the ebbs and flows of life, reassuring that all you are is enough, and that there are tools like breathwork, practices like yoga, and good people in your corner all ready to support you. 
Come see me and  ✨

It’s boundary setting season fam. 
If it doesn’t invoke a full body “YES!” it’s probably a “NO!” 🤷🏾‍♀️
Take the time you need to reflect, make a decision that is aligned with your mind, body, and spirit, then set boundaries!
Boundary setting may sound like… 

“That doesn’t work well for me…” 
“I’m unable to commit to that at this time…” 
“If this continues, I will prioritize protecting my peace which may compromise our relationship.” 
“That is not something I want to discuss anymore…” 
“I appreciate your opinion, but I’m confident with my decision.” 
“I need more time to process and will get back to you.” 
“No!” 
Take a deep breath and say it with ya chest! 💖

You want me to do what now?! “Nah get somebody else to do it!” 😂

I’m just kidding. This feels gooooood 😌💫💚

No more “doing the most”…

We’re moving with intention all summer long and focused on being. Doing less. Being more than enough. With a supported slow flow, deep reflection, and lots of stillness as our teacher.

Join me every Wednesday evening!! 🧘🏾✨💙

🗣️🗣️ The shop is open!!

Check out the link in the captions to purchase from my website 💫