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Denver Racial Justice Organization, Soul 2 Soul Sisters, Will Use $2,000 Grant to Uplift Black Women’s Stories
DENVER — Because of intersectionality, Black women — and especially Black trans women — are systematically discriminated against on multiple fronts. In 2015, Denver-based Soul 2 Soul Sisters was founded to primarily serve Black women and fight for racial equity, reparations and justice. In 2021, the group was awarded a $2,000 award from the Colorado Equity Compass (CEC) that it will use to “share Black Women’s experiences receiving reproductive health care, their needs as it relates to reproductive health care quality and access, and messages of support and understanding.” “In honor of Black Breastfeeding Week, a week celebrating Black lactation, we honor Black Women and Black birthing people wherever they are in their lactation journey. Archiving their stories is critical to Black Liberation,” Soul 2 Soul Sisters representatives say."
Soul 2 Soul Sisters describes the exhibit this way: Guided by Nature, Healthy Chocolate Milk is a living exhibit envisioned by Briana Simmons, a radical visionary, full spectrum doula and the Black Women’s Health, Healing & Joy Coordinator at Soul 2 Soul Sisters. Curated by Sacred Seeds Black Birthworker Collective, Guided by Nature, Healthy Chocolate Milk aims to counter stigma, increase representation of Black lactation, and emphasize the normalcy of breastfeeding in the everyday lives of Black birthing people. A core component of the work of Sacred Seeds Black Birthworker Collective of Colorado is to help increase Black breastfeeding rates through education, advocacy, and representation. This exhibit is a homage to the sacredness of the full spectrum of the Black breastfeeding experience – the questions, fears, joys, stress, celebration, peace, health and wellness for a birthing person and their baby while highlighting how the lactation journey fits within the everyday lives of Black Mamas.
"We extend deep gratitude to the McBoat Photography team for beautifully capturing the photos," Soul 2 Soul Sisters representatives say. "And absolutely we extend immense gratitude to the mamas and babies who participated in the creation of this exhibit – thank you for sharing your precious time, energy, and sacred stories with us!"
Soul 2 Soul Sisters is a grassroots, faith-filled, racial justice nonprofit organization based in Denver. The organization is dedicated to transforming Colorado and beyond through Black Women-led programs focusing on Black Women’s healing and health, reparations, Black voter engagement and ending anti-Black racism.
“The CEC is pleased to award $2,000 to Soul 2 Soul Sisters to further its activism,” said CEC Project Lead Dr. Rachele Espiritu. These stories are below:
About Soul 2 Soul Sisters Founded in 2015 during a time of deadly encounters between Black people and law enforcement and the subsequent rise of the Movement for Black Lives, Co-Founders Reverend Tawana Davis, Ph.D. and The Rev. Dr. Dawn Riley Duval birthed Soul 2 Soul Sisters to be a Black Women-led, faith-based response to anti-Black violence in the United States of America. Today, the organization is evolving and thriving as they work to honor and protect Black Women's lives, loves, decisions, families, communities, and futures. Based on a deep knowing that we will be free, Soul 2 Soul Sisters has four areas of programming:
Black Women's Healing, Health & Joy
Facing Racism
Let My People Vote
Reparations
About the Colorado Equity Compass Across Colorado, communities are facing inequities that impact their health and wellbeing. Different factors, including systemic racism, a lack of affordable housing, and environmental concerns, contribute to these inequities.
As a project of The Colorado Trust, CEC helps communities — and the organizations that serve them — better understand these issues and advocate for change using data and stories. This work consolidates diverse resources, connects peers, and both aligns and empowers communities and institutions via its Equity Data Navigator. The model showcases inequities and the social determinants of health (SDOH) across communities. CEC also serves as a hub for community storytelling and information-sharing.
For more information and to view the Equity Data Navigator, visit coequitycompass.org. For media inquiries, contact the CEC at [email protected].