Name: Suko Bey
Social Justice Group: 2020-2021, Menstrual and Maternal Health
Date of Fieldwork: February 9, 2021
Person (people) with whom you met and their title(s) & Name of Organization: Evelyn Alvarez, Co Founder of Bronx ReBirth
Type of Fieldwork: Interview
What I learned about Social Justice “work” and/or Civil and Human rights “work” from this fieldwork:
Today I interviewed Evelyn Alvarez on of the founders of an organizations called BXRebith and Progress. It focuses on providing diapers, formulas, and doulas. They are mainly focused in the Bronx. Since COVID-19 started they have had to have a lot of zoom births where Evelyn said it isn’t as weird or awkward as it seems. It is natural and a beautiful process to be able to go through someones birth with them. We learned more about the experience of a doula and how they are treated in hospitals. She said how it depends on the hospital how they are treated by the birthing team. There can sometimes be a lack of respect for the doula and the patient. This is one of many jobs Evelyn has to deal with as a doula, but it is what makes her job hard but also helps her persist. Alvarez talked about how when she was going through her pregnancy she didn’t feel support and often felt lonely, this is one of the reasons she became a doula so she could prevent other people going through pregnancy to feel like they are alone. I learned so much about what Evelyn did, and enjoyed the interview so much. Everything flowed nicely and it felt like we were talking to Alvarez like old friends.
