What It Means for BADT to “Center” Certain Voices and Values and Why We Do It
At BADT, we often talk about the ways we “center” certain voices or concepts, and we wanted to explore what this term, and furthermore, this action means to us.
To center means to hold a person, an identity group, or a value as important, sacred, and valuable. It means holding this person, identity group, or value at the core of how we show up in the birth work space and in the relationships we are building.
Centering BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ Folks
BADT is Black and queer-owned, and we will always center the voices, perspectives, and teachings of folks who are Black, Indigenous, people of color, queer, and trans. From our staff to our collaborating teachers to the community connections we make, we prioritize relationships with folks with these marginalized identities, particularly those with multiple marginalized identities.
Our course content will always strive to honor the stories, experiences, and knowledge of those whom the systems (including but not limited to the medical industrial complex) continue to exclude or devalue.
We are committing to working towards a liberated future by holding BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ folks at the center of everything we do.
Centering Birthing People
In the medical industrial complex, the person receiving care is often lost in the shuffle or at the bottom of the hierarchy, as opposed to being at the center of everything that is happening.
This puts doctors and hospital administrators and other professionals at the top of the hierarchy. The birthing person should be seen and held as powerful, equipped, and whole.
They should be at the center of each decision and process.
Their providers are valuable and important members of the team, but they are not seen as the only authority in the space or experience. Providers are there to support and uplift the birthing person and their unique wishes, needs, and preferences.
At BADT, we invite birth workers to provide support and services from this birthing-person-centered lens. We guide them in offering care that approaches clients as the experts of their experiences and honors their voices along their journey.
Centering Our Values
As we are working to create new possibilities beyond the oppressive norms of the medical industrial complex (and all the other industrial complexes and systems of oppression), we hold concepts and values such as liberation, autonomy, justice, and humanity at the core of what we do and how we work. In other words, centering means putting our values into practice in real, concrete ways.
Centering our principles involves reflection, intention, and action to truly work from a values-based foundation. Furthermore, it’s a process, and it’s not something to achieve one-time. Living our values is a dynamic process that requires continuous commitment.
Ways to Practice Centering Your Values in Your Birthwork Practice
The list below offers some ideas that the BADT team uses to engage in centering BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ folks, birthing people, and our organizational values. We hope these ideas help you, as an individual or an organization, engage in these practices as well.
Get clear on your core values. You can find an exploration of BADT’s core values here. These are your reasons for doing the work you do. These are also guideposts, supporting you in building a practice that contributes to the future you are growing, the future you believe in.
Learn from people who have lived experience. Prioritize learning from people who truly understand liberation and who have lived experience and carry marginalized identities. For example, work with trans educators who are teaching about inclusive practices.
Use language and visuals that reflect your values on your social media, website, and/or any other materials. Reflect the anti-oppressive, liberatory position you hold through your language and any visuals. For example, if you feature pictures of birthing people, you may be mindful to show people in all sizes of bodies and with different skin tones.
Stay engaged in learning communities that challenge dominant beliefs and values. This could range from taking curated continuing education courses to book clubs to informal doula meet ups. Its important to always have a container for learning and unlearning, especially when the dominant culture continues to feed us toxicity.
Set a regular time, perhaps annually, to check in, reassess, and set goals. We suggest having a regular practice of evaluating your practices and setting goals for next steps. This is an opportunity to give credit, recognize areas of growth, and make plans for how you want to grow in the next year (or whatever time increment you are working with).
Join Us in Community
We’d love for you to join us in the BADT community! Sign up for our email list if you’re a birth worker or aspiring birth worker, so you’ll be first to hear about new courses, open enrollment periods, and scholarship opportunities.