The Educated Birth

Everything about the decision was risky.

In the few years following graduation, Cheyenne had built experience in various spheres of the non-profit sector; she had tackled sizable projects in the communications and marketing spheres; she even became a freelancer and a doula. Yet, as a young, black female, she had quickly grown aware of the obstacles that stood between her and the impact she longed to make. After trying to break through in established non-profits, she was about to take a bold step on her own.

This decision meant no safety net. It meant unreliable income. It meant facing criticism. It meant it was on her to make it work.

It was daunting, but not as daunting as the the realities she longed to confront: Cheyenne recognized tremendous inequities in reproductive healthcare.

She recalls what awakened her: "When I became a birth doula in 2016, I couldn't find imagery of Black pregnant women online. When I googled combinations of 'Black,' 'woman,' and 'pregnant' much of what I found felt insulting — more images of upset black women looking at pregnancy tests and pregnant white women wearing black than healthy, happy, Black pregnant women. This began an awakening — I'd stumbled into a deep, vast, wide gap — an incredible number of people across a spectrum of identities and experiences have not been able to see themselves when learning about their bodies and navigating some of our most intimate experiences and decisions."

As a gifted graphic designer, Cheyenne realized she had the skills and passion to confront this inequity. Her work as a doula allowed her to hear the stories of pregnant individuals, and transform their questions, concerns, and revelations into visual content. She created inclusive visuals that recognized and celebrated identities that too often go under-represented. She not only wanted to help educate those navigating pregnancy, she wanted every individual to be able to see themselves in the content.

"The Educated Birth" was born. With her growing knowledge base, direct experience, and artistic skills, Cheyenne began creating infographics and illustrations, written content and videos. This grew into the first issue of "Everyday Birth Magazine," where she was able to gather her content alongside the voices of pregnant individuals and experts in a visually stunning format.

Starting and maintaining your own business is hard no matter who you are, and Cheyenne knew the hefty ways the cards were stacked against her; but seeing a way to confront injustice head-on gave her the strength to press forward. She knows her work is important: "Representation isn't just nice, it's a necessary part of a safe and equitable health system."

It can be easy to wonder what difference a single person can make, particularly when that person is a young black female in a nation that overvalues older white males. When her imagination was sparked in 2016, Cheyenne did not know what her impact could be, yet in just the last few years she has helped create hundreds of illustrations and infographics, six issues of Everyday Birth Magazine, an interactive online photo-audio-documentary called "Life's Work", and even raised funds to provide PPE kits to black midwives across the country.

She is far from done.

Personally, I hope others see what I see in Cheyenne, and are inspired to follow suit. Her story captures someone who is willing to stand for what is right, even if it seems she is on her own, or has tremendous obstacles, or is not sure what lies ahead.

Cheyenne continues the work -- despite the risks and unknowns -- because she knows the power of representation, and is committed to confronting injustice, one image at a time.