ABSTRACT
For many, the mere mention of the South Bronx conjures up not-so-distant memories of burned-out tenements and intractable poverty. Yes, this is the poorest congressional district in the country. Yes, folks here suffer the highest rates of asthma and obesity. However, those statistics don't tell the whole story. They never have. As midwives at an urban nonprofit hospital, serving women from the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Ghana, Togo, Honduras, Mexico, and the United States, we sit at the feet of resourceful and resilient women. As we bear witness to their struggles and triumphs, we mirror each other, reflecting fears and hopes. We echo that inner voice urging a woman to engage with and sometimes confront a cold, faceless institution. Modern American midwifery is often depicted in terms of white women supporting other white women. Through documenting everyday stories in our clinic offices and labor rooms, this chapter resists this narrative by exploring the unique relationships forged between Black midwives and women in the South Bronx.
