The Afiya Center - Health Support for Black Women in North Texas

The Afiya Center (TAC) Sep 11 Written By THECHANGELAB The Afiya Center - Health Support for Black Women in North Texas Health Support for Black Women in North Texas We are the only group in North Texas run by Black women that helps Black women and girls with their health. We help Black women and girls take control of their health. We give them support, teach them what they need to know, and help them get care.

Get Involved → "Self-care is anything you do to take care of yourself. It helps you stay healthy and happy. It's not just going to a spa.

" — Marsha Jones, Director 1 The Health Problems Black Women Face Black women in Texas have serious health problems that need fixing right now. 3x Black women are 3 times more likely to die in childbirth than white women 1 in 3 Black women in Texas living with HIV or AIDS 2008 Year we started helping 15+ Years helping North Texas We started in 2008 because Black women in Texas were getting HIV at very high rates.

They needed help. Over time, we grew to help with many kinds of health problems. What is Reproductive Justice?

Reproductive Justice means you get to make your own choices about your body and your family. You can decide if you want to have kids or not. You can decide when to have them.

You can raise your kids in a safe place. Black women created this idea in 1994. They knew that health care connects to other problems like racism and poverty.

Health problems that hurt Black women most: Black women often go to hospitals that give worse care Racism affects Black women's bodies and makes pregnancy more dangerous Texas laws make it hard to get abortion care when women need it Many people judge women with HIV, so they don't get help Not enough doctors understand what Black women go through 2 How We Help We help Black women in many ways. Black women created our programs.

We know what Black women need because we listen to them. ✊ We Focus on Justice We work on the reasons Black women have health problems in the first place 🤝 Community Leaders Black women design our programs because they know what works 🎓 We Teach and Support We give people safe spaces, teach them, and help them speak up for themselves 📢 We Fight Bad Laws We work to change laws that hurt Black women and their families Our name tells our story: "Afiya" means "women's health" in Swahili Our symbol means "change" or "transformation" Together, they show our goal: help Black women change their health for the better What makes us different: We are the only group like this in North Texas run by Black women We understand trauma and help people heal We see how race, gender, and money all affect health We create safe spaces where Black women feel welcome We help Black women speak up in movements where others often take over We believe taking care of yourself fights back against systems that hurt Black people 3 Our Programs 💬 Afiya Talks We meet every two weeks.

Black women talk about their lives. We read books by Black women writers and watch films together. Learn More → 🎤 Living Out Loud A support group for Black women living with HIV.

We share our stories. We fight the shame around HIV. We ask for better services.

Join Us → ✊ Young Black Women for Choice Young Black women who speak up about abortion rights. They share their stories and help other women feel strong, not ashamed. Get Involved → 🗣️ SMART Sisters Mobilizing for Abortion Access and Reproductive Rights in Texas.

We teach people about abortion laws and stop attacks on Black women. Volunteer → 🏛️ Texas Black Women's Summit Once a year, we bring together Black women and groups working on health. We share stories and make plans for change.

Attend → 👶 Doula Training We train Black women to become doulas. Doulas help pregnant women before, during, and after birth. This saves lives.

Learn More → 📊 State of Black Women Report We write reports about Black women's health in Texas. These reports help people understand the problems and find solutions. Read Report → 🎗️ End with Red Our big fundraiser each year.

We raise money to support Black women living with HIV and AIDS. Support → Other ways we help: Texas Black Women Rise Up: Black women share their stories and work together for change Health Center (coming soon): A place where people can talk about sex and health without feeling bad Legal help: We work with lawyers to fight bad laws in Texas Bail fund: We help pay bail for Black Lives Matter protesters Healthcare for all: We fight for everyone to get healthcare COVID-19 work: We track how COVID hurt Black women more than others 4 Our Impact We work on many health issues at once: 🏥 HIV Support We help Black women who have HIV or might get HIV.

We teach them and connect them to care. 👶 Birth Justice Black women can choose if, when, and how they have babies. They can birth safely.

✊ Building a Movement We help Black women work together. When we speak up together, we get more power.