Screening of Documentary “GIVE LIGHT: Stories from Indigenous Midwives” set for Nov. 2在超声电机宝博体育官网

星期四, 10/26/2023 - 11:41am

A new award-winning documentary that brings the voices of Indigenous midwives into the critical dialogue on the worldwide maternity care crisis will be screened at The University of Southern Mississippi (超声电机) 和 followed by input from the filmmaker as well as a noted healthcare expert.

“GIVE LIGHT: Stories from Indigenous Midwives” will be presented at The University of Southern Mississippi (超声电机) Thursday, Nov. 下午6点2分.m. 在自由党203房间 艺术 Building on the Hattiesburg campus. 免费入场. 纪录片放映 is presented through a partnership between 超声电机’s Women 和 Gender Studies program, Committee on Services 和 Resources for Women (CSRW), Center for the Study of the Gulf South, the 荣誉学院, 和 University Forum. 下午五点半有一个简单的招待会.m. 会在事件发生之前发生吗.

The panel discussion following the documentary screening will feature Steph 史密斯, a New Orleans filmmaker 和 creator of GIVE LIGHT, 和 Dr. Nakeitra Burse, phd, MS， CHES, owner 和 CEO of Six Dimensions, a certified woman owned, minority owned public health research, development, 和 practice company.

In GIVE LIGHT, 史密斯 circles the globe posing the question ‘Why are the benefits of the traditional midwifery practice absent in modern maternity care options?” more than 90 percent of women birthing in hospitals, the U.S. 拥有最高的母性 和 infant mortality rates among comparable developed countries 和 extreme racial disparity in mortality rates (source: Center for American Progress, 2019).

Midwives have been proven to decrease risk of unnecessary interventions 和 increase satisfaction with quality of care, yet less than 10 percent of births are attended by midwives in the United States, a figure even lower in other countries. 通过 unique access to interviews with Indigenous midwives from five continents, GIVE LIGHT examines the benefits 和 challenges to the profession of midwifery.

Dr. Rebecca Tuuri, interim associate dean of the 超声电机 荣誉学院 和 an associate professor of history is co-coordinator of the event along with 超声电机 Associate Vice 学生成功教务长. Julie Reid, with additional input from Dr. 坦尼娅Funchess 超声电机的公共卫生项目.

“Give Light helps open the conversation about the process of birthing today in showing the important history 和 current state of midwifery around the world,” Dr. Tuuri 说. ‘It’s an important topic considering the current crisis in maternal health around 在世界和密西西比. We look forward to sharing this important documentary 并从奥巴马夫人那里获得观点. 史密斯和博士. Burse on the possibilities 和 limitations of both modern medicine 和 midwifery.”

史密斯 is an independent director, cinematographer, 和 editor; GIVE LIGHT is her first 长篇纪录片. Her work has been invited for screening in the U.S. 和 in Europe, including in Spain, France, 和 Greece. 2015-2022年，她的作品 have also been exhibited at Female Filmmakers Festival, Birth Justice Film Fest, Women’s Center for Healing’s Women in the World’s Cultures event, 和 at the NOLA Feminist Short Film Festival 和 Loyola University, among other events 和 host sites.

史密斯 was also commissioned by the Art Council of New Orleans commission to produce a short film for their community arts award on the oldest second-line organization, 青年奥林匹克运动员.

A servant in the field of public health for more than 15 years. Dr. Burse是专注的 to underst和ing the impact of systems on the health of communities. 她的工作是中心的 around health equity 和 social justice issues 和 improving maternal health outcomes 黑人女性. She has been a vocal advocate for policies in Mississippi to improve health outcomes including Medicaid Expansion 和 Postpartum Extension 和 has experience in a variety of sectors including nonprofit, private, academia 和 government.

Dr. Burse currently uses her entrepreneurial spirit 和 skills to create innovative strategies that will ultimately improve maternal health outcomes. 作为Six的CEO Dimensions, she works with diverse clients across the country who are committed to 产妇保健危机. She is the executive producer of the short documentary, 怀着希望劳动， a film highlighting the issues of maternal morbidity 和 mortality among Black women.

GIVE LIGHT will be broadcast nationally on PBS. To learn more about public television underwriting to support independent filmmaking while helping to educate young women 和 families about the benefits of midwifery 和 doula services, contact 史密斯. For more information about this screening event for GIVE LIGHT at 超声电机, contact Dr.% 20 tuuri; learn more about the documentary “给光”.