Episode 6: Kayla’s Village

Makia Martin (00:04):

Welcome to The Light Ahead, a fiction podcast that investigates the question, "What would 2030 look like if the US had an economy that truly worked and cared for everyone?" (singing)

Makia Martin (00:19):

The US has an imagination gap when it comes to the economy. We generally think that we have to choose one -ism or another, like capitalism or socialism, but the reality is our options are as diverse as those who can dream them, because we continually create the economy every single day with our actions and choices. This podcast is designed to help us all practice expanding our economic imaginations, to take us out of the, what is, and help us dream, what could be. A production of Avalon: Story and Beloved Economies, each episode was co-created by a Hollywood screen writer and a change maker at the cutting edge of transforming our economy. For this project, we didn't ask them to tackle the question of how, but rather to dream using the magic of storytelling to help us all imagine possible futures. (Singing).

Makia Martin (01:25):

I'm Makia, your guide as we venture into future timelines filled with possibility. In this episode, we are welcome into a joyous occasion, the birth of a new child. The soon to be mother, [Kayla 00:01:40], is tended to by a loving community that allows her the space to choose the right birthing experience for herself and her family. Space her own mother was tragically not afforded. Throughout our time traveling journey, we'll pull back the curtain to hear from the two collaborators responsible for this visionary tale. Writer, Jacqueline Revere, and Angela Aguilar, Activist and Movement Generation Co-Director and collective member. For now, make sure your preconceptions are powered down and your mind is unlocked in the expansive position. This is Kayla's Village.

Speaker 3 (02:28):

Josephine has arrived.

Marcus (02:36):

Hey Mama [Joe 00:02:37], let me help you out. What is all this stuff?

Josephine (02:41):

We're bringing a baby into the world. And, they come when they're ready. So I brought everything we need, even this bouncy ball, it's supposed to be good for her pelvic floor, or you can use it for sit ups or something. Oh, honey. I'm so rude. How are you doing? Ready to step into the world of fatherhood?

Marcus (03:02):

Yeah, I think so. We've done the birthing classes and everything, but I feel like that can only prepare you but so much, right?

Josephine (03:09):

You have no idea, but you are not alone. Lactation consultants, OBGYNs, midwives, honey, you'll be steeped in community, helping you turn the page of this new chapter.

Marcus (03:22):

Thank God.

Josephine (03:23):

The night I brought Kayla home, I had no idea what I was doing. It was a mix of joy and fear. Just me and the baby. I had to figure it all out on my own. So much has changed since then.

Marcus (03:38):

It's crazy. Even when I'm at work, there's been someone here with her. I mean, I don't know how the women of Oakland do it or why, but I owe them my gratitude for sure.

Josephine (03:47):

Honey, we do it because we love it. Now, I stopped by Miss Lewis' garden. She gave me a bushel of collards for soup and Ms. Johnson gave me her special post-pregnancy ointment for down there.

Marcus (04:01):

Oh, okay. I don't know what that means, but I'm going to take your word for it.

Josephine (04:04):

Oh, and here's a few African baby wraps.

Marcus (04:08):

There's more?

Josephine (04:09):

Honey, you'll be carrying all this and a baby soon enough.

Kayla (04:13):

Mama?

Josephine (04:15):

Yes, baby? I'm so excited. I could scream. I'm coming. Now you start cleaning those collards because that baby will be here sooner than you think. And, Kayla will need nourishment. My little baby is having a baby.

Kayla (04:41):

Mama. We still have labor and birth to get through.

Josephine (04:45):

I know, I know. I just... This day came quicker than I imagined. Your birth mother would be so proud.

Kayla (04:55):

I know she would.

Josephine (04:59):

Okay. So, when is our midwife arriving?

Kayla (05:02):

Rosie's on her way. My contractions just hit 4:11.

Josephine (05:08):

Four, one, one, 4:11 means we're almost there.

Kayla (05:10):

Yeah, we're getting close. Are you nervous? You always over prepare when you're nervous.

Josephine (05:17):

I've been fighting for people to have safe births since you were born, 27 years of research and organizing. And now my baby gets to reap the benefits of all that hard work. I'll over prepare if it means you get to bring a new life into this world, just the way you desire. Speaking of preparation, I brought you a birthing stool in case the bath isn't your thing. And then I stopped by Mrs. Georgia's house and she gave me her birthing stool. Word is Congresswoman Maxine Walters entered the world on this exact one. Now you just think of the good Juju it carries.

Kayla (05:53):

Congresswoman Juju.

Josephine (05:54):

Oh, and I also learned from Mrs. [Olu 00:05:58] that some Nigerian women bury their placenta to ensure future fertility so I brought my garden shovel just in case.

Marcus (06:06):

I don't think I can blow this ball up.

Kayla (06:08):

Oh, okay. One's coming.

Josephine (06:12):

Okay. No worries. No worries. Let's breathe through it. In two, three, four and out two, three, four. Good. Just like that. In two, three, four and out two, three, four.

Kayla (06:38):

They keep getting stronger and stronger. If the next one is that bad, I might just say, "forget it," and go to the hospital.

Josephine (06:47):

Well, we could do that. Doctors and midwives work hand in hand now. Over the past 10 years, we've worked hard to foster a relationship of mutual respect. So ultimately the choice is yours, but honey, you'll be fine.

Kayla (07:01):

Ooh. That's Rosie. I think I want to get in the tub.

Speaker 3 (07:04):

Rosie has arrived.

Marcus (07:06):

I got it.

Josephine (07:08):

Okay. I'll start the water.

Kayla (07:31):

Oh. Oh. Oh.

Rosie (07:39):

You're doing a very good job. Looks like they're moving down a bit further.

Kayla (07:44):

How much longer will it take?

Rosie (07:48):

You've waited nine months for this, now just wait a little longer.

Kayla (07:55):

Oh.

Rosie (07:57):

I brought some soothing lavender popsicles for you. A refreshing treat that keeps you hydrated. Would you like one?

Kayla (08:03):

Yes, please. Something.

Rosie (08:09):

I'll be back shortly.

Makia Martin (08:24):

We'll return to our story in a moment. But first let's pause and take a moment to learn about the making of Kayla's Village. I'm joined today by Angela Aguilar, Activist and Movement Generation Co-Director and collective member and Jacqueline Revere, this episode's writer. In Kayla's village, Josephine talks about fighting for people to have safe births for nearly 30 years. Tell us a little about what the birthing experience is like today.

Angela Aguilar (08:54):

This episode, I feel, really highlights what we need. And I think that was the vision for especially Black, Brown, Indigenous, poor, disabled, birthing people. We've never really had choices around the care that we get in this country, primarily because of the dominant worldview that dictates this economy that we live in, that doesn't value care work, doesn't value women, birthing people, doesn't value any of that kind of work as anything that contributes to this dominant extractive economy. And so, historically, Black, Brown, Indigenous, disabled, queer people who are pregnant or birthing or parenting get subpar care, if any, at all.

Makia Martin (09:53):

And, Jacqueline, what was your journey like crafting this birthing story, knowing the experiences people were having today?

Jacqueline Revere (10:02):

My first draft, we all met up, and this is so scary. This is not the positive influence that we're trying to share with people. And so, what it really took me doing was watching videos and talking to [inaudible 00:10:27] to really understand the core of the joy that it is to bring a new soul and how the communities were genuinely so happy to celebrate new life, which is something that I think has been robbed from us in our society now, because we're sacked with responsibilities on top of responsibilities. But then on top of that, I think that mothers of newborns, especially don't have the support that they should have. And so, taking the time to re-envision what this world could look like if we actually had the support that women should have. And so, it was a journey that enlightened me and it's actually really made me think about ways to explore what birthing could be for myself, also.

Rosie (11:48):

You've been cleaning those collards since I got here.

Marcus (11:52):

Yeah. Just trying to be helpful. I don't really know what to do.

Rosie (11:57):

Well, the best part about your job is you just have to show up.

Marcus (12:02):

Yeah. That's easier said than done.

Rosie (12:07):

Why are you so nervous?

Marcus (12:14):

I just, I can't help her push the baby out. I can't make the labor go by faster. I can't do anything. So, I've never been a father before, so I just have to...

Rosie (12:26):

Be present. That's why I love what I do. It forces you to be in the moment.

Marcus (12:36):

Yeah. I guess. I assume you've done this a million times?

Rosie (12:43):

Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Marcus (12:44):

What made you want to become a midwife?

Rosie (12:46):

Well, I was the first baby in my family to be born in a hospital. My mom moved away from her family in the south to the big city, met my father that's moving us from further away from our roots. One day I started looking around at my friends and friends of friends who were getting pregnant. And I realized that they were all having major complications. Then it hit me when the statistics came out that Black babies were three to four times more likely to die from childbirth. And the mothers were dying with them. That's when I decided to research why this was happening.

Marcus (13:28):

That's how Kayla's mom died, giving birth to her.

Rosie (13:32):

Yeah. A lot of us weren't surviving birth. Luckily, I found a community of women who taught me that birthing is in our blood, our DNA. I learned about the granny midwives of the south. You know, birthing was built on the backs of Black women in America? We delivered everyone's babies. Even the White women who couldn't afford to go to the fancy hospital and in the sixties, they realized birthing could become a business. Granny midwives were deemed primitive and unsanitary. Birthing had become a business. And you and I both know you can't put a time on delivery. Babies come when they're ready. And it is our job to sit here and wait for them. But hospitals can't make money if women are in labor all day and night. So, they sped up the process. Nearly 30% of all births in the US were cesarean in 2020.

Marcus (14:41):

That's only 10 years ago.

Rosie (14:44):

Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Josephine (14:46):

Kayla closed her eyes for a bit. Ooh, I am starved. Oh my God. Look at this fresh produce. It's beautiful.

Marcus (14:55):

Yeah, elders from the community have been stopping by all week with bushels of the best from their harvest.

Josephine (15:00):

I just love the aspect of community care that we've cultivated. It warms my heart and fills my belly. This smells delicious.

Rosie (15:14):

Mm-hmm (affirmative). So, Marcus, I met Josephine not long after deciding to become a midwife. She taught me that we could create long lasting change and legislation geared towards creating safer practices for people in labor.

Josephine (15:30):

For so many years, we put misguided trust into a system that didn't support us. When my best friend in the world passed, and right after I held her baby in my arms, the fire was lit. I knew my purpose in this life.

Rosie (15:46):

We all need to be fired up.

Josephine (15:48):

Yeah. We worked day and night. Writing politician, holding seminars, educating birthing people, midwifery schools received government grants, women of color received scholarships to study obstetrics, to become OBGYNs. We realized that doctors and midwives could be on the same team and be even more effective.

Rosie (16:07):

And, we didn't just rely on the government to make these changes. We also made big changes within our own communities. We got neighbors together, including elders and youth to imagine together how we could better take care of one another and really support families in our community who were bringing new life into the world.

Josephine (16:29):

Mm-hmm (affirmative). It's true. Giving people back the control and autonomy of their own body, it's my greatest joy.

Rosie (16:37):

Mine, also. So, I guess to answer your question, I just love pregnant people and I could be around them all day.

Kayla (16:48):

Oh.

Rosie (16:52):

Oh, we're being summoned.

Josephine (16:53):

We're coming, baby.

Kayla (17:04):

Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh.

Rosie (17:20):

The baby's heartbeat is right where it should be.

Kayla (17:24):

Oh, oh, how much longer? My back...

Rosie (17:33):

Marcus, Marcus, massage her lower back. It'll take off some of the pressure.

Makia Martin (17:50):

Angela, what are the grassroots changes you're seeing in communities around the birthing experience?

Angela Aguilar (17:57):

As someone who's been in the birthing world as a parent and also as a birth worker for almost 13 years now, I've seen a lot of changes that happened really fast and happened because Black women, specifically Black birth workers and Black and Indigenous folks of color and communities have been pushing for a long time, a long time to get these changes implemented. And so, they start in the community.

Angela Aguilar (18:31):

What I have seen over the last 10 years really is this reclaiming of our power as people who are birthing and raising the next generation of caretakers of this planet. Because there's so much power in somebody feeling and knowing their power when they bring new life into this world. When they know that they're going to be cared for, when they know that not only are they going to be cared for by one other person, because that's not realistic, but they're going to be cared for by any entire community, by your entire society, by your entire culture. And that's an example of grassroots organizing really as doulas and as birth workers, we're organizing the community to make sure that everyone can play some kind of role in taking care of pregnant and birthing people and parenting people. Because we can learn so much about the economy, about governance, about decision making, about consent, all of that. We learn so much in that experience.

Kayla (19:47):

Mom, you okay? You've been so quiet.

Josephine (20:00):

I'm good, sweetie.

Kayla (20:02):

What are you thinking about?

Josephine (20:04):

You.

Kayla (20:07):

You thinking about birth mom, too?

Josephine (20:09):

Yeah.

Kayla (20:12):

Me, too.

Josephine (20:13):

I know she's proud that her story did not become yours.

Kayla (20:19):

We finally picked a name for the baby. [Brendan 00:20:25] after birth mom, Brendan Joseph Fisher.

Josephine (20:29):

I love it. I absolutely love it. Brenda would be so proud to see the person you've grown to be. Oh, I love you.

Kayla (20:40):

I love you, too.

Josephine (20:42):

You know who we haven't heard from in a while? Marcus.

Marcus (20:46):

I'm here. I'm here. I was just... I'm always here.

Kayla (21:03):

Wait, wait. I feel it. I need to push.

Josephine (21:09):

Okay. You got this, baby. Trust yourself. Trust your body. And when you are ready, push. Oh, look, look.

Marcus (21:18):

Okay, baby. You're doing great.

Josephine (21:24):

You got this.

Rosie (21:25):

Yeah, you got this.

Marcus (21:27):

You are strong.

Rosie (21:28):

You're almost there. You're almost there.

Josephine (21:31):

We're right here with you, sweetie.

Marcus (21:32):

Come on, baby. We got this.

Rosie (21:32):

Yes.

Marcus (21:32):

You got this?

Rosie (21:32):

Yes.

Marcus (21:32):

Okay.

Rosie (21:42):

They're here. They're here. Welcome to the fourth trimester. Here's your baby.

Kayla (21:54):

Hi. Hi, little one. Welcome.

Marcus (22:02):

I've been waiting to see your face a long time.

Josephine (22:04):

Welcome to the world Brendan Joseph Fisher.

Rosie (22:11):

Happy birthday. Brendan Joseph Fisher was born at 7:10 AM on May 25, 2030. This will forever be a special day in your household.

Josephine (22:26):

Congratulations.

Kayla (22:30):

Thank you for everything, Mama.

Speaker 3 (22:37):

Josephine and Rosie have arrived.

Josephine (22:43):

Woo. It's a celebration out there. Everybody looks angelic in their white and you three are glowing.

Kayla (22:52):

Thanks, Mama. We're excited to join the party. People have been messaging us all day with their excitement to finally meet the baby.

Josephine (23:04):

Oh, I'd be excited, too. Look at how big they've gotten. I just saw you all last week.

Kayla (23:08):

The lactation nurse has been a life saver. They've been here consistently. I feel like a breastfeeding pro right now.

Josephine (23:20):

Oh, I know. I know. The stethoscope is a little cold. I'm so sorry. Oh, just a few more seconds and your checkup is almost done. Well, Brendan is definitely ready. How are you, Kayla?

Kayla (23:45):

I'm so many things. I thought I'd be exhausted by this point, but having Marcus on paternity leave and our immediate family take extended leave just to help us with the baby. I haven't lifted a finger to cook or clean since before giving birth. I'm beyond grateful.

Marcus (24:02):

Even how the community has restructured itself, making family meals of importance. I can't wait to watch our child listen to the storytelling gatherings with elders or the cooking and gardening classes parents run for children in the community. I mean, thank God you all persevered and forced legislators to really contemplate the importance of community care.

Josephine (24:22):

Raising a child should be joyous. It takes a village, but it's doable when we all work together. Well, the time has come. Time to introduce our new member of the family.

Kayla (24:37):

Let's go.

Marcus (24:38):

Let's go.

Josephine (24:40):

Brendan Joseph Fisher, this is your community.

Makia Martin (24:59):

What an empowering and uplifting end to the story. Now, Angela and Jacqueline, what do you each hope listeners take away from the story of Kayla's Village?

Angela Aguilar (25:11):

What I want listeners to get from this episode is to get a view into the fact that communities of color, Black, Indigenous, people of color have centuries old traditions of care. They were taken from us because of colonization here, domestically and abroad because of slavery, because of being removed from our lands as Indigenous people from all over the world. These care practices of having multi-generational family members, supporting, parenting people, that's what we do. And, that's what this economy that we live in and that these shapes our every day does not have and does not allow. Everything from creating nuclear families. Just two generations in a household, the parents and the children, heteronormative families. It doesn't leave room for the querying of families. The fact that some parents need more than one other parent or more than one other caretaker for their child.

Angela Aguilar (26:29):

And so, it's not new. These practices are not new and they were deliberately taken from us so that we could work and use that labor to build this extractive economy that has really shaped our lives and is contributing to a lot of the chaos that we're seeing right now from climate to what we're seeing in Texas right now with the bans on abortions. I want folks to see this in a historical perspective that what has been done to our families, to our bodies, to our life processes has had effects that reverberate across kind of sectors, if you will, in this economy.

Jacqueline Revere (27:19):

Something that I absolutely loved learning was the fourth trimester, which is something I'd never heard of ever, which is literally an entire six weeks or so where people drop off food, they come and clean up your house. Your sole job is to bond with that baby and make sure the baby's healthy, taken care of, and learning how to now start this new chapter. And, women, we hardly get six weeks to get back to work and just seeing the importance of also paternal leave and how important that time for the father it is. It all just really changed the way that I see the process of bringing life into this world. I just wish that as a society that we took it so much more seriously than we do. And, part of the reason that we don't is capitalism. And I would love to live in a culture that doesn't value money over souls. The human experience is why we're all here and what's more human than bringing a life forth. And, I think that it deserves the reverence that our ancestors showed it, also.

Angela Aguilar (29:12):

And so, I think that was another reason why this story was so touching to me because I'm so excited to tell all the birth workers in my life, we have a fictional story now. We can share and it's a scene and it's cute and it's funny. And, it's beautiful. And so, I want to honor you and acknowledge you for your talent, Jacqueline, for being able to take this information and really incorporate all of the other pieces in around organizing for decades around change and all of these things. I feel like I'm just really, really proud of this episode and proud of what you did and what we did together. And, it gives me a lot of hope.

Makia Martin (29:57):

It gives us all a lot of hope. Thanks for listening. I hope you enjoyed your trip into the future and can now see the light ahead a little more clearly. The Light Ahead is a production of Avalon: Story and Beloved Economies. Based on six years of research and collaboration with over 100 groups across the US, the Beloved Economies campaign is sharing stories, practices, pools, and tips to expand imaginations of what is possible for our economy. Avalon: Story is a center of practice based in Ketchum, Idaho, to help birth the future of story by investigating two questions: What does Story need be to build us a bridge to a more beautiful future? And, what does the business of Story need to be to serve as a vehicle for the same? The Light Ahead is a Beloved Economies and Avalon: Story Production made in partnership with Frequency Media.

Makia Martin (30:59):

I'm your host Makia Martin. The Light Ahead was co-created by Jess Rimington and Naomi McDougall Jones, who is also our show runner. It is executive produced by Naomi McDougall Jones of Avalon: Story, Joanna Cea and Jess Rimington of Beloved Economies, [Lila 00:31:20] [Yantoo 00:31:20] and [Michelle 00:31:21] [Corey 00:31:21] of Frequency Media.

Makia Martin (31:23):

It is produced by Heidi [Rudevoltz 00:31:26] and Jordan Rizzieri, and co-produced by Lauren Ressler and Sonia Sarkar of Beloved Economies. The fiction portion of this episode was produced by Avalon: Story, written by Jacqueline Revere, based on conversations with, and the ideas of Angela Aguilar of Movement Generation and directed by John Terry Gadson featuring performances by [Chanel 00:31:50] Carol, [Yvette 00:31:51] Carson, Robert King, and Bianca [Lamier 00:31:55]. Production coordinated by [Marley 00:31:58] Newman. Sound designed by Juliana [Anow 00:32:02]. Sound mix by Rick [Shoop 00:32:03] and our sound intern was [Alan 00:32:07] [Lindsey 00:32:07]. The non-fiction portion of this episode was produced by Frequency Media, with dialogue editing by Sidney Evans and mixing by Matthew Ernest Filler. Our theme music was written and performed by Alicia K. Hall, [Jeffrey 00:32:23] Archie, and B.I.G. Patty. This podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, and wherever podcasts are found.