In honor of Black Maternal Health Week, host Rachel Keener sits down with chef and storyteller Sophia Roe for a raw, necessary conversation on the systemic neglect of Black mothers. Sophia pulls back the curtain on the "fourth trimester," contrasting the medical system’s singular focus on "saving the baby" with the pervasive lack of support for a mother’s physical and mental recovery.
From the hurdles of finding trusted Black providers and navigating insurance barriers to the realities of postpartum anxiety, she reframes the journey of motherhood as a site for radical self-love and informed advocacy. By rejecting the pressure of perfectionism and embracing the "village", including doulas, midwives, and partners, Sophia encourages Black women to prioritize their own safety and rest, proving that being honest and "a hot mess in public" is its own powerful form of resistance.
Take a moment to listen for an unfiltered look at the journey of Black motherhood.
More about Sophia Roe:
Sophia Roe is a James Beard Award winning chef, writer, founder of Apartment Miso and Emmy-Award nominated TV host known for her distinct focus on honesty, diversity and inclusivity. Her passion for food has always been connected to an understanding that some people have access to nutritious foods, while others simply and problematically do not. This duality is the foundation for Sophia’s work: celebrating the beauty and art within her cooking, while creating resources to advance food justice, building more sustainable and equitable systems, while combatting the systemic structures that leave so many without the resources they so desperately require.
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At The Loveland Foundation, we are committed to showing up for communities of color in unique and powerful ways, with a particular focus on Black women and girls. Our resources and initiatives are collaborative and they prioritize opportunity, access, validation, and healing. Since our founding, the Therapy Fund has provided financial support for therapy to over 13,000 Black women, girls, and non-binary individuals across the country.
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