Blessing for Black Babies

Liturgy, 2019

A liturgical performance that relocates the Christian event of Advent beyond its traditional understanding as the coming of Jesus to explore Advent as a celebration of the coming of age of Mary in the African-American community. 

Faced with higher infant mortality rates, lower percentages of breastfeeding, and historical undiagnosed and underdiagnosed Post-Partum depression in women and men, the black Community in the US has and continues to produce innovative solutions collectively.

The project honors the African-American spirituals and ring shout traditions by framing them as creative responses to reproductive injustice in the black community and considers sound as a community tool for black reproductive wellness.

The work considers the necessity of community and the specificity of black men in building black families and supporting the healing of black mothers. 

The work features Sandys Abraham Arthur, Melvin Britton-Miller, Mekhi ‘El, Hassan Henderson, Ryan Hill, Quantez Pressley, Kamau Ptah, Salim Ptah, Jermaine Ross-Allam, Joe Tolbert, Bridget Webster, and Kyia Williams.

Images by Nyya Toussaint