A National Call To Action
Following the Black Maternal Health Proclamation signed by President Biden in 2023, the Black Maternal Health Awareness Ribbon serves as a powerful symbol designed to raise awareness and drive action toward equitable healthcare for Black Women.
Bare Life and Live is committed to leveraging Belief and the Relaxation Response and to design and instruct on a new Model of Care aimed to improve the pregnancy, birthing and after-birthing processes for Black Women through a subscription box service membership and offering a marketplace for supporters and allies to the cause.
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A Ribbon with Deep Meaning
The ribbon features four distinct colors, each symbol-izing different impacts of the Black Maternal Health experience:
Black: Acknowledges the heightened vulnerability of Black Women to maternal health issues, linking the elements of belief, relaxation, and care.
Hospital Blue (Physical Impact): Calls for collaborative efforts between hospitals and communities to address the healthcare disparities, representing a new Model of Care necessary for Black Maternal Health.
Exuberant Pink (Social Impact): Emphasizing a holistic sense to healing and community, represents the biological and psychological Powers of Belief.
Sage Green (Mental-Emotional Impact): Highlights the need to counter environmental factors contributing to systemic racism, biases, and prejudices, symbolizing the physiological and neurological benefits of the Relaxation Response.
About
Bare Life And Live
Bare Life and Live is committed to standardizing practices that sees and treats Black Women who are pregnant and recently birthed Black moms with dignity, respect and worth.
dark skinned Black mom
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The Impetus
The Need for a New Awareness Ribbon
From a July 2023 article, according to NPR, 'when compared to Women, Black Women are more than twice as likely to experience severe pregnancy-related complications, and nearly three times as likely to die. And that increased rate of death has remained about the same since the US began tracking maternal mortality rates nationally - in the 1930s.'
DESIGN LAYOUT
The ribbon's design underscores foundational beliefs that inform all aspects of maternal health. Exuberant Pink anchors the ribbon, symbolizing Belief. Sage Green represents the Relaxation Response, while Hospital Blue signifies the Model of Care. Black interconnects all these elements, highlighting the importance of comprehensive support for Black Maternal Health.
The Process
What color or colors should be used? The colors selected had to reflect the myriad of ways in which the Black Maternal Health disparities manifest socially, mentally, emotionally, and physically. The social factor emphasizes the holistic approach to healing and community. This factor is represented by Exuberant Pink. The mental emotional factor emphasizes the environmental factors that contribute to systemic racism. This factor is represented by Sage Green. The physical factor emphasizes the collaborative aspect that needs to develop between hospitals and communities. This factor is represented by Hospital Blue. Black is the color that connects the colors to each other.
At only 8, my son has come to understand, albeit, only intuitively, the gravitas of my work in the Black Maternal Health space. As an observer to my research on this project, he asked:
Son: "Mom, can I help you?"
Me: "Yes son, you can. Thank you! Can you draw a ribbon for me?"
Son: "A ribbon?"
Me: "Yes, like this (with me showing him a picture of an awareness ribbon for another cause)."
Son: "I don't think I'm very good at that."
Me: "Just please try Son, I'm sure it's going to be better than I can do."
He drew three different ribbons for me and I shaded the designs in three different ways. The three-color combinations were not resonating with me plus one of the styles represented an un-related cause. That's how the necessity for a fourth color emerged. Now, I just needed to try different combinations of color sequences to see which one would allow the colors to pop. He drew more ribbons.
He drew more ribbons. Then I alternated the placement of the Exuberant Pink, Sage Green and Hospital Blue to see which combination resonated. I brought my daughter into the project. She has been a spectator (and, at times, participant) to my social justice activism. Her insight is always aligned with my sight from inside.
Once the final ribbon was selected, I needed a graphic of the model. Although I was prepared to outsource someone to do it, my daughter has a lot of dormant artistic creativity, but, she doesn't always have confidence in her work. Nevertheless, I knew she could do it, so I asked her.
Me: "Daughter, can you draw the ribbon for me?"
Daughter: "You mean the one we just chose? Uhmm, ok, sure, I can do it," she acquiesced. I'll get my IPAD."
She opens the design software on her device and I watch her for about 10 minutes as she effortlessly creates. She draws. Erases. Draws Again. She evens out the sides to create symmetry and holds it back for a few seconds and subtlety admires her work. She's low-key impressed with herself. I knew she could do it. Then she shades in the ribbon with the colors from the model that was in front of her...hex codes and all.
After researching various ribbon styles, I tried out a design with three colors.
The fourth color, black...I wasn't sure how to include it. It was a central color, so I didn't want it taking up too much attention on the ribbon. And then I got it! I would centrally add black to all the colors.
Me: "Daughter, which one of these ribbons do you think is best?" "It's for the Black Maternal Health Awareness ribbon I'm designing.
Daughter: "What do the colors mean again," she asked, trying to jar her own memory?
Me: I gave the elevator version breakdown. She absently nodded in recollection. We narrowed the six down to four using my son's vote as well. Then
Daughter: "Definitely this one," she said, without hesitation or doubt. She had pointed to the same one that I had secretly chosen.
My son, certain not to be excluded from the vote, chimed in.
Son: "Yeah, I like that one best too."
The Process
What color or colors should be used? The colors selected had to reflect the myriad of ways in which the Black Maternal Health disparities manifest socially, mentallyemotionally, and physically. The social factor emphasizes the holistic approach to healing and community. This factor is represented by Exuberant Pink. The mentalemotional factor emphasizes the environmental factors that contribute to systemic racism. This factor is represented by Sage Green. The physical factor emphasizes the collaborative aspect that needs to develop between hospitals and communities. This factor is represented by Hospital Blue. Black is the color that connects the colors to each other.
After researching various ribbon styles, I tried out a design with three colors.
At only 8, my son has come to understand, albeit, only intuitively, the gravitas of my work in the Black Maternal Health space. As an observer to my research on this project, he asked:
Son: "Mom, can I help you?"
Me: "Yes son, you can. Thank you! Can you draw a ribbon for me?"
Son: "A ribbon?"
Me: "Yes, like this (with me showing him a picture of an awareness ribbon for another cause)."
Son: "I don't think I'm very good at that."
Me: "Just please try Son, I'm sure it's going to be better than I can do."
He drew three different ribbons for me and I shaded the designs in three different ways. The three-color combinations were not resonating with me plus one of the styles represented an un-related cause. That's how the necessity for a fourth color emerged. Now, I just needed to try different combinations of color sequences to see which one would allow the colors
The fourth color, black...I wasn't sure how to include it. It was a central color, so I didn't want it taking up too much attention on the ribbon. And then I got it! I would centrally add black to all the
He drew more ribbons. Then I alternated the placement of the Exuberant Pink, Sage Green and Hospital Blue to see which combination resonated. I brought my daughter into the project. She has been a spectator (and, at times, participant) to my social justice activism. Her insight is always aligned with my sight from inside.
Me: "Daughter, which one of these ribbons do you think is best?" "It's for the Black Maternal Health Awareness ribbon I'm designing.
Daughter: "What do the colors mean again," she asked, trying to jar her own memory?
Me: I gave the elevator version breakdown. She absently nodded in recollection. We narrowed the six down to four using my son's vote as well. Then
Daughter: "Definitely this one," she said, without hesitation or doubt. She had pointed to the same one that I had secretly chosen.
My son, certain not to be excluded from the vote, chimed in.
Son: "Yeah, I like that one best too."
Once the final ribbon was selected, I needed a graphic of the model. Although I was prepared to outsource someone to do it, my daughter has a lot of dormant artistic creativity, but, she doesn't always have confidence in her work. Nevertheless, I knew she could do it, so I asked her.
Me: "Daughter, can you draw the ribbon for me?"
Daughter: "You mean the one we just chose? Uhmm, ok, sure, I can do it," she acquiesced. I'll get my IPAD."
She opens the design software on her device and I watch her for about 10 minutes as she effortlessly creates. She draws. Erases. Draws Again. She evens out the sides to create symmetry and holds it back for a few seconds and subtlety admires her work. She's low-key impressed with herself. I knew she could do it. Then she shades in the ribbon with the colors from the model that was in front of her...hex codes and all.
New Ribbon Visibility Campaign Products
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Black Maternal Health Awareness Ribbon in Pin Style
Regular price From $11.99 USDRegular priceUnit price per -
Black Maternal Health Know-the-Ribbon Visibility Campaign Decal
Regular price $12.68 USDRegular priceUnit price per -
Black Maternal Health Awareness Ribbon Magnet
Regular price $13.52 USDRegular priceUnit price per -
National Geographic Black Maternal Health Framed Poster with Black Maternal Health Awareness Ribbon
Regular price $49.99 USDRegular priceUnit price per -
Black Maternal Health Awareness Ribbon Sticker Rolls
Regular price From $138.85 USDRegular priceUnit price per -
Black Maternal Health Awareness Ribbon Keyring Tag
Regular price $19.56 USDRegular priceUnit price per
Join The Movement
Bare Life and Live invite communities, healthcare providers, and policymakers to embrace the Black Maternal Health Awareness Ribbon as a symbol of commitment to change. By wearing this ribbon, we can collectively raise awareness and work towards eliminating the disparities in Black Maternal Health. Detailed information about the ribbon is available at barelifeandlive.store.
Join the Movement