A deep sadness has enveloped us over the past week – a sadness and pain that tragically Black Americans feel every day. It shouldn’t take the murder of a Black man – one in a long series of unjust abuse – for us to realize that racism, inequality, prejudice and injustice continue to prevail in society today. It shouldn’t be that horrific images of abuse are what force us to confront our own racism and discrimination. But it has. And it should.
PSVa stands in solidarity with the Black and African American community as they lift their voices in protest and shout to be heard, to demand change. We are listening to the voices of those who hurt and are grieving and understand that we must look critically into our own hearts to see the changes we must make to be part of the solution. We realize that we must do the work to be part of this revolution, to create a shared humanity, where all people are seen, heard, understood, helped and loved.
PSVa’s mission is to help new and expectant mothers and their families overcome anxiety, depression and other perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. To do this effectively, we must center the experiences of Black women who disproportionately experience trauma and deadly maternal health outcomes. We commit to creating accountable relationships with organizations led by Black women and we will use our resources to amplify their work and their voices. We will seek partnerships, develop programs and provide resources to support Black mothers. We will leverage our relationships with healthcare providers to address the vast disparities in maternal mental health experienced by Black women. We will work continuously to listen and learn about the needs of the Black community and seek to understand how we can help.
Mothers deserve to be heard, for their fears and worries to be understood. They deserve to have the resources and support they need to be well easily available to them. We know we cannot change the world, but PSVa must make changes to the work we do to make our world better. And we will. It is our promise and our pledge today.