Shafia Monroe sees the need to increase minority infant survival and breastfeeding rates in the African-American community. Judy http://www.blackmidwives.org/ http://www.mothering.com/articles/pregnancy_birth/midwives_doulas/legacy-of- black-midwives.html http://tinyurl.com/22rven The Legacy of Black Midwives By Zelie Pollon Issue 144 - September/October 2007 Shafia Monroe was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, and as a teenager she wanted to be a veterinarian. Then, when she was 15, her mother died, and Monroe was sent to live with a Muslim woman who happened to be pregnant. Monroe became fascinated with the woman's process, and human health and birth soon began to override her interest in animal care. She wanted to know everything about birth, and so was given the book Williams Obstetrics, and told to study it in case the expectant mother couldn't get to the hospital in time for her delivery.1 That year, Monroe dropped out of high school to continue to learn about birth while living with her Muslim friend. At 17, she told her father that she wanted to go to Africa to learn to be an obstetrician. Instead, he convinced her to go back to school and look into midwifery. Suddenly, Monroe's path began to be revealed to her. [snip] In 1982, the first of Monroe's seven children was born, with a Jewish midwife in attendance-at that time, there were no black midwives in Boston. It was obvious to Monroe there was a need to be filled, and she decided to create a network for black women. The result, the International Center for Traditional Childbearing (ICTC), was incorporated in 1991, in Portland, Oregon. *********************************************** Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html To reach list owners: [log in to unmask] Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask] COMMANDS: 1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail 2. To start it again: set lactnet mail 3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet 4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome