"Do You Hear Me Now"?: Honoring the Voices of Black Birthing People This Black History Month

Written by Dr. Natashia L Conner, PhD, MPhil, MS, IBCLC

Reproductive Justice Advocate & Activist

Founder & Executive Director | The BLACK Collaborative Inc.

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From the echoes of the past,

the breath of the present,

the ache of the future—

I hear them.

Voices before me,

with me,

after me—

all screaming the same truth:

When will Black Lives Matter?

We hear the chants in the streets,

as pavement runs red with life force,

sirens harmonize with grief,

and still—

it is silent.

From the cracks of mothers crying out

through the agony of childbirth,

to the soft hum of her spirit

as she welcomes new life.

At once—

joyous horns,

heavens opening,

a baby exhales,

and all of heaven shouts—

But you don’t hear me.

You don’t hear the silence of fear

when the warm cry fades.

You don’t hear the mother growing cold,

not because she lacked strength,

but because the system failed

to hear her demands for care,

to hear her pain,

to hear her truth:

Something’s not right.

But you don’t hear me.

The R&B of my heartbeat,

the quiet threat of preeclampsia,

the faint sound of distress—tired, unseen,

unaware that the soaring pulse of life

is screaming to be saved.

And still—you don’t hear.

Horns blazing.

Crosswalks beeping.

ER doors opening.

Can you hear me now?

The sound of my life force dims.

The silent killer grows louder.

I wait.

And you still don’t hear me.

The beat of the monitor

displays my worst fear—

and suddenly,

silence.

You don’t hear me.

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As a mother and a survivorof eclampsia, severe preeclampsia, and life-long hypertension, I know this truth:

Barriers to adequate care do not respect education, income, sex, or gender.

So when did the color of my skinbecome a measure of my worth?

I carry the pain of those who suffered in silence, and the weight of those who never lived long enoughto tell their story.

Although you didn’t hear me then—

You will hear me now.

— Dr. Natashia L. Conner

Reproductive Justice Advocate & Activist

Founder & Executive Director

The BLACK Collaborative Inc.