Foreword

This guide has been designed to directly address the needs of our community as they have been expressed to us. The resources in this guide are from Los Angeles and surrounding cities. This guide is designed to be holistic in approach and accessible to all users.

There is a continual need for Black women to be supported as we navigate the many ways racism and white supremacy impose upon our quests to live, enjoy life, create, grow families, and contribute our unique genius to our communities and world. This support, as expressed in the guide, comes through affirmations, positive mantras, self care tips, external support services and the knowing that we are all standing together.

During the pandemic, the impact of the health and financial crises the world was facing hit Black communities hardest. During this time, Black Women for Wellness received even more calls than usual from community members looking for everything from emergency services for domestic violence survivors, homeless resources and economic support, to services that would provide support for a joyous birthing journey and everything else in between. Knowing that other organizations were also getting these same calls and that so much information had changed through the pandemic, we knew it was time to create a new guide.

However, we knew for it to be comprehensive and effective, we could not, and would not want to do it alone.

Therefore, this guide was created as a result of the dynamic partnership between the African American Infant Maternal Mortality Community Action Team(AAIMM CAT) of South Los Angeles/South Bay and Black Women for Wellness. In fact, when we found ourselves receiving the calls for service and support, we turned to our AAIMM CAT partners. As our communities were mourning the continual and unnecessary deaths of Black folks due to COVID and the increased risk of maternal infant loss for Black moms during birth, we looked to AAIMM CAT and knew we would find a creative, supportive partner ready to engage in this work with us. So when we decided to embark upon creating a comprehensive community resource guide, it was natural to reach out to the AAIMM CAT and they were ready to collaborate. Under the direction of its leadership, they generously leveraged their vast, county and community based network and provided staff to work part time each week to ensure this guide lived up to its potential and could be completed in a timely manner to meet the demands of the community.

It is with great pleasure that we provide the communities we serve with this work, the time, partnerships and intent of service that will be available for many years to come. We hope that this guide is everything you need it to be. We hope that the love for Black people and our committed, determined fight towards liberation is received with all of the love and joy that was present as the guide was being conceived. We offer thanks to those who continually entrust us with the duty of connecting each other and being a pillar in Los Angeles and other surrounding cities.

Finally, we offer our sincere prayers that whatever is happening in your life as you use this guide, that the pages within help make the process a bit easier, joyous and fulfilling.