Christin Farmer-Kane
I first met Christin back when she was just, Farmer. I was working as a producer at a local news station in Cleveland, and I had come to her organization to interview her about the devastating maternal mortality rate in the city, and what her organization was doing to combat that. I remember her being friendly and vulnerable, she was present during our conversation, and as a journalist I really appreciated that. It was the first time I had ever met a Black doula, and I was floored. Not because I didn’t know that they existed, but because I’m aware that they aren’t as represented as their white counterparts, and it was a blessing to experience her work and stance up close. It was that moment, that confirmed for me that I want a Black doula and midwife on my birthing team when that times comes. Having someone who looks like you, seeing you through such a magical and transformative experience is what Black women need, and that’s exactly why Christin does what she does.
She’s a mother, a wife, a friend, a confidant, and the CEO and Founder of Birthing Beautiful Communities. BBC is a community of birth workers and doulas, serving and supporting women who’re at the highest risk for infant and maternal mortality during the crucial time following birth. In only five years, Christin has developed something from concept, to having trained 26 perinatal workers and helping over 500 women in the process. Their mission is to improve the systemic and community structures that have lead to poor birth rates for Black women, and in doing so, they’re healing generations of women in the process. This fall, BBC will be opening their new Birthing Center in Cleveland, and soon even more people will know just how inspiring Christin Farmer-Kane truly is.
1.) What inspires you to do what you do professionally?
The need for healing in the Black community inspires me to do what I do. I am in love with newborn babies, I think babies are such a gift, and we have to treat them as such. So thats inspired me to do this work, and the fact that our babies are dying at the rate that they are, is what gave me the full motivation and green light to move forward on building an infrastructure to support babies coming into this world.
2.) What person has had the biggest influence on your life and why?
I have to say my family has had the biggest influence in my life in general. And I say that because, I became who I am not because of what they did do, but because of what they didn’t do. And I’m not saying that in a negative way, but I watched how people lived their lives, and interacted and had so many limitations that they put on themselves. Someone somewhere down the line told them or showed them that they couldn’t ‘be this’ or ‘do that’ and that motivated me. Because I knew that I could do anything, impossible is an opinion, and let me show y’all so you can follow in my footsteps. It made me want to be the person that my family and other people could be inspired by.
3.) How do you practice balance in your life?
I’m a very spiritual person, and that’s literally what gives me my balance. Since I was little, I’ve always been interested in astrology, and crystals, tarot, and oracle. It’s almost like I’ve been on this earth before, so I’ve always had a sense of who I was spiritually, and it has helped me so much in my life. It’s been the only thing thats nurtured me and kept me safe. It literally has saved my life, I’m only here by faith and I have had to trust that. That balance for me is following my heart always, and I allow my mind to catch up later.
4.) How do you use your inherited gifts, platform, or particular privilege to give back?
I use my gifts, primarily to give back. I use the gift of my voice, and my leadership role to help the community. I use my guidance and advice, to help people sort through particular things in their lives that are a hinderance for them.
5.) What person living or dead would you like to sit down for a meal with?
I would say my ancestors. I would like to know the ancestors who I don’t know about. I’ve had a lucid dream before, where I was in a small house, and there was this man and woman talking to me, apologizing to me telling me that they had to allow me to go through certain experiences, but they’ve been here with me the whole time. I’ve always wondered who they were, and I want to talk with them again! I want to have a meal with them because I need more information!
6.) What’s your ideal cocktail, wine, or drink?
I am a champagne person! I love champagne, so mimosa’s are my drink of choice.
7.) What’s your biggest vice?
I think working too much, I have to actively remove myself from my work. I don’t know when to say enough is enough, and I need to go on vacation!
8.) Name one thing you’d like to be kinder to yourself about?
Not being so hard on myself. I’m constantly always thinking about the Black community, and new ideas, and how we can be better, and I had to tell myself recently, girl relax! You know, I’ve done a lot in a short period of time, but I’m still pressing myself to churn out more and more, and haven’t taken the time to appreciate what I’ve built. So, that’s where I’m at. Trying to sit back and appreciate what I’ve accomplished so far.
9.) What’s your biggest insecurity?
I am just now getting over this, like today! I didn’t realize it, but I’ve had fear of speaking my mind and being afraid of what people will think. And I just realized that I have to let that go, and be my authentic self and speak the truth. It was a fear of not being accepted, like I had to shrink myself in order to be accepted. But true power lies in acceptance of self, and I don’t need to have that fear and insecurity about how I may be perceived.
10.) What outstanding goal do you have that you’ve yet to accomplish?
I have so many, and that’s why my mind is always going! But my next goal is working around creating these two apps. One for moms and one for dads, with an employment piece. My husband and I are doing this together, and we have a shared interest in building these infrastructures within the Black community so we can increase our wealth, and be more conscious about our physical and emotional health. That’s an outstanding goal because it’s such a big goal, but also being a role model to some degree. Being able to inspire people within our community, so that they too can understand that they can accomplish their own goals. It’s important that people see people in their own communities, who look like them, and live in the same neighborhoods as they do, to understand that “we aren’t special”, if we can do these things you can do these things.
