Activism

Chicago Community Baby Shower Aims at Lower Rate of Infant Mortality

Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson ministered to mothers during the Chicago Citywide Community Baby Shower held at the end of 2022. About 400 new and expectant mothers attended this event, held at the Imani Village community center on the city’s South Side.

Published

3 years ago

February 21, 2023

Oakland Post

New mothers had the opportunity to hear from and meet Heidi Murkoff, author and creator of the What to Expect Project. “I’m just here for the hugs,” said Murkoff of the time she spent greeting new moms and their babies and handing out free copies of her books. Picture taken by Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

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Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson ministered to mothers during the Chicago Citywide Community Baby Shower held at the end of 2022.

About 400 new and expectant mothers attended this event, held at the Imani Village community center on the city’s South Side.

Hustle Mommies and the Urban Mom Collective organized the event in collaboration with the Rev. Dr. Que English, director of the Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“I felt that sense of sisterhood,” Johnson said. “People were looking out for each other, getting to know one another [and] recognizing that they are in it together, and our desire is to raise successful and happy children.”

Event organizers connected mothers with the local community and government resources, including prenatal care and mental health services. A panel of guest speakers provided information on the importance of self-care during and after childbirth and support services offered by doulas and midwives. At the end, mothers received any of various items they needed — diapers, baby strollers, clothing, baby bottles, car seats and other essentials donated by the Church of Jesus Christ.

“It was a blessing for me. I saw it [advertised on social media], and it was last minute, but it was amazing! I came and I had nothing, but I have so much now. I think it’s great for us expectant mothers to look forward to something,” said LaShawn Thomas, an expectant mother.

“To be able to do that with you guys has been amazing,” expressed Ariel DeNey Rainey, founder of Hustle Mommies and co-founder of the Urban Mom Collective.

“And not only that, it takes a team, it takes a village. The Church [of Jesus Christ] was part of our village. They provided us with volunteers as well as support and help for the moms,” said Ebony Wrenn, co-founder of the Urban Mom Collective.

New mothers had the opportunity to hear from and meet Heidi Murkoff, author of the “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” series of pregnancy guides and creator of the What to Expect Project Foundation.

“I’m just here for the hugs,” said Murkoff of the time she spent greeting new moms and their babies and handing out free copies of her books. “It doesn’t matter where you go in the world. … We are all connected by being moms. We all share an emotional bond.”

“The whole purpose was to bring them together to connect them with needed resources as well as their children, [but] the community shower was just a drop in the bucket,” said the Rev. Dr. English. The event is part of a wider effort by English and the Church of Jesus Christ to address maternal health issues afflicting Black and Native American communities in the United States.

“These opportunities to work with our friends in government and community are so important for us to touch the lives of [individuals],” Johnson said. “We look at things globally, but we must also look at the needs of the one. Today was a sweet opportunity to minister one by one.”

“What is so beautiful about it is that this is not a start-and-stop project. This is not one time. This is an investment into the lives of people,” said the Rev. Dr. English.

Many of the women who attended the event live in underserved communities and represent a demographic in the United States that is plagued by maternal health complications and the loss of newborns.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the infant mortality rate for babies born to African American women (10.6 per 1,000 live births) is more than twice that of infants born to white mothers (4.5 per 1,000 live births) and the U.S. Native American (7.9 per 1,000 live births) and Pacific Islander (8.2 per 1,000 live births) communities face comparable circumstances.

The Church of Jesus Christ is supporting similar efforts in other U.S. cities. In New York City, for example, the Church is providing funding to train doulas for mothers in vulnerable communities.

“It isn’t just about today,” said Sharon Eubank, director of Humanitarian Services for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who attended the event with President Johnson. “There is a trained person that will be with every mom — prenatal, at the birth and post-natal — to help her navigate the change in her life.”

These efforts, said Johnson, are especially aligned with the mission of the Church’s Relief Society, which provides opportunities for Latter-day Saint women to expand their influence and to bless their families, wards, stakes, communities, and nations.

“In 1921 [maternal and newborn care] became a focus of the Relief Society. … We’re just doing what we’ve always done, expressing an interest and love for our sisters around the world. Wherever we serve, wherever we are, we can bless and lift. We’re all mothers. Women need each other.”

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BAY AREA POLITICIANS LAUD CAREER OF SEN. FEINSTEIN, WHO ANNOUNCES SHE WON’T RUN IN 2024

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Activism

The Ladies of Delta Sigma Theta Hold Day of Advocacy at the Capitol in Sacramento

A member of the “Divine Nine,” Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., was founded on Jan. 13, 1913, at Howard University in Washington, D.C. The organization was established by 22 women who sought to shift the group’s focus from social activities to public service, academic excellence, and social activism.

Published

3 weeks ago

May 17, 2026

Oakland Post

Sen. Laura Richardson (D-San Pedro) presents a Senate resolution to the Delta Theta Sigma Sorority Farwest Region at the State Capitol on May 4. Photo courtesy of the Senate Rules Committee.

By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media

On May 4, members of the Farwest Region of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., convened at the California State Capitol for the organization’s 23rd annual Delta Days in Sacramento.

The two-day advocacy event brings together chapters from across California to engage directly in the legislative process, connect with lawmakers, and advocate for policies impacting Black communities.

Members of the sorority were honored on the Senate floor by Sen. Laura Richardson (D-San Pedro), who is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta.

Richardson welcomed the Farwest Region during the presentation of a Senate resolution recognizing outgoing Regional Director Kimberly Usher for her leadership and service.

“In addition to the Far West Region, we are led by a fearless leader, regional director Kimberly Usher. She has now served her full term of what’s allowed,” Richardson said. “We are going to be having our regional conference, but we wanted to give it to her here, officially recognizing her service.”

The resolution was co-authored by Richardson and fellow members of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC) and Delta Sigma Theta, Sen. Akilah Weber Pierson (D-San Diego) and Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom (D-Stockton).

Usher has served in the leadership role since 2022.

“We are founded on sisterhood that is deeply rooted in scholarship, service, and social action,” said Weber Pierson, a member of the Gamma Alpha chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

“Today, we continue a legacy of empowering communities and upholding the high cultural, intellectual, and moral standards established by our founders over a century ago,” she added.

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Rep. Kamlager-Dove Introduces Bill to Protect Women in Custody After Reports Detailing Miscarriages and Neglect

The Pregnant Women in Custody Act would expand safeguards beyond the federal prison system to include women detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Office of Refugee Resettlement. The proposal follows reports of pregnant women being shackled, denied medical care and suffering miscarriages while in immigration detention.

Published

3 weeks ago

May 17, 2026

Oakland Post

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By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA-37) on May 7, reintroduced updated legislation aimed at strengthening protections and healthcare standards for pregnant and postpartum women held in federal custody, including in immigration detention facilities.

The Pregnant Women in Custody Act would expand safeguards beyond the federal prison system to include women detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Office of Refugee Resettlement. The proposal follows reports of pregnant women being shackled, denied medical care and suffering miscarriages while in immigration detention.

The legislation builds on a bipartisan version previously passed by the House during the 117th Congress. The updated bill includes new standards for healthcare access, mental health and substance use treatment, high-risk pregnancy care, family unity protections and increased federal oversight.

“Proper pregnancy care is a human right, regardless of your immigration or incarceration status,” Kamlager-Dove said in a statement. “It’s unacceptable that there are virtually no legal safeguards for pregnant women in federal custody.”

The bill would also limit the use of restraints and restrictive housing for pregnant women, improve data collection on maternal health in custody and require additional staff training and enforcement measures.

Supporters of the measure said the legislation is intended to address long-standing concerns about maternal healthcare and safety in detention settings, particularly for Black women and low-income women who are disproportionately impacted by incarceration and health disparities.

“Pregnant women in custody should never be subjected to dangerous and inhumane treatment that threatens their health, dignity, or the well-being of their babies,” said Patrice Willoughby, chief of policy and legislative affairs for the NAACP and a longtime public policy and government affairs strategist, in a statement.

A 2021 report estimated there are about 58,000 admissions of pregnant women into U.S. jails and prisons each year. Kamlager’s statement also cited a recent investigation by NBC News and Bloomberg Law that identified allegations of severe mistreatment or medical neglect involving at least 54 pregnant women or families in county jails between 2017 and 2024.

Federal policy under the Department of Homeland Security restricts the detention of pregnant, postpartum and nursing immigrants except in extreme cases. However, the agency reported that ICE deported 363 pregnant, postpartum or nursing women between January 2025 and February 2026, including 16 recorded miscarriages during that period.

The bill is cosponsored by several House Democrats and backed by organizations including the NAACP and the Vera Institute of Justice.

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OPINION: The Fire of Oakland’s Justin Jones

Jones made headlines three years ago when he was one of a pair of Justins. Along with fellow State Rep. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis), he fought their removal from the state house in Tennessee and won reinstatement. Now, Pearson is running for Congress and Jones is still fighting for all of us.

Published

3 weeks ago

May 17, 2026

Oakland Post

Tennessee State Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville). File photo.

By Emil Amok Guillermo

You may know Tennessee State Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville).

He grew up in Oakland and the East Bay. His mother is Filipino. You can tell by his full name Justin Shea Bautista Jones.

His father is African American.

He is fighting for all of us.

Now, Pearson is running for Congress and Jones is still fighting for all of us.

The recent 6-3 Supreme Court decision barring the use of race in drawing congressional districts marks a major turning point in U.S. history.

The decision took away the Voting Rights Act’s power to assure minority voices were both heard and represented.

“What we’re seeing now is this new Jim Crow system in which Black and Brown communities are without voice in our political process,” he told Fredricka Whitfield on CNN last weekend.

“That’s a canary in the coal mine for the rest of the nation. If they come for one of us, they’re coming for all of us, and some of my message to America is that the South is the front line of democracy,” Jones said. “They are dismantling multi-racial democracy here in the South, in states like Tennessee and Louisiana. But they aren’t going to stop here.”

That’s why Jones said we have to start paying attention to the South, and start helping them fight back there,” he said.

“I want to be clear that this terror, this type of system they’re enacting, are the same systems my grandparents told me about who grew up in Tennessee, a system where people like me couldn’t even be in political office. That’s the time they’re bringing us back to and I’m not sounding the alarm to be alarmist. But I am sounding it because we’ve seen this before in our history.”

Jones talked about Reconstruction and about what happened between the end of the 1800s and the beginning of the 1960s, when there was no Black political representation.

It’s a rebellion to keep our democracy going forward, he said.

“Stand with us and help us fight back against this extremist power grab — this racist power grab against our vision of a multi-racial democracy,” Jones added.

“While there is a litigation strategy, it’s important to maintain what he called a “movement strategy” that leads to the largest voter mobilization and registration that has ever been seen in the South,” he encouraged.

In 2026.

“Tennessee is an oppressed state,” Jones said. “It’s a state where one in five Black voters can’t vote because of felony disenfranchisement. It is where you can use a gun permit to vote, but you can’t use a student ID card to vote.

That’s the Asian American African American voice of Justin Jones.

Read his words for inspiration.

About the Author

Emil Guillermo is a veteran journalist, commentator, and comic stage monologist. His new show “69, Emil Amok: Anchorman—The News Made Me Do It,” is at the San Diego Fringe at New Destiny/Lincoln Park, 4931 Logan Ave. Ste. 102. May 14-23, at various times. Get tickets here.