AABC's Equity Work

AABC is engaged in, and committed to, the hard work needed to become actively anti racist and advancing intersectional equity.  We recognize that the current healthcare system is founded in structural racism and white supremacy. We are an historically white organization and hold ourselves accountable for the pain that has occurred as a result of systemic racism in our organization. 

In June 2020, AABC released a Statement on Racial Justice and formed a Task Force to Address Systemic Racism. We retained DEI consultants, the EnterChange Group, to help us develop a strategic DEI roadmap and infuse intersectional equity in the Standards for Birth Centers. We plan to accomplish this through a 4 phase plan:

  1. Preparation - Facilitated conversations and environmental scan. (read the report)
  2. Discovery - Equity assessment through survey and discussion groups (read the report)
  3. Planning - Integrating the equity indicators with the AABC Strategic Priorities
  4. Implementation - Implementing the AABC Strategic Priorities which are rooted diversity, equity and inclusion. 

Diversity & Inclusion Scholarships

We offer Diversity + Inclusion Scholarships to Members of the Global Majority*, LGBTQIA+ folks, and people with disabilities. AABC seeks to expand access and lower barriers to entry through these scholarships for the annual AABC Birth Institute, How to Start a Birth Center Workshops (in-person and online), and Community Birth Assistant Training. 

As an organization, we know it's our responsibility to disrupt the norms that center white, affluent, straight, able bodied people as patients and providers in the birth center setting. We intend to make education more accessible to a greater number of individuals in order to ensure that all families have the opportunity to receive culturally concordant birth center care. 

Learn more and apply >>

DEI Foundations Training

An AABC member benefit

Led by EnterChange consultants Sarah Hansen and Amanda Neatrour, this course introduces the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion, providing definitions of each, as well as how they relate to equality, ethics, and social justice.  It emphasizes how applying DEI principles will support AABC’s mission and vision. Participants learn about why DEI matters, particularly in workforce and service-based contexts. It also introduces participants to concepts of intersectionality, the cycle of socialization, power and privilege, and implicit bias.

Learn more about DEI Foundations Training

Affinity Circle Meetings

The AABC Diversity + Inclusion Committee invites members to participate in quarterly Affinity Circle meetings beginning this February.

These meetings are designed to create a safe space for members to explore identity, areas of concern, and community change. These sessions will be facilitated by AABC’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) consultants, Sarah Hansen and Amanda Neatrour, of the EnterChange Group.

Three community circles will be offered:

  • Members of the Global Majority*
  • LGBTQIA+
  • White Allyship

Members may attend as many affinity circle meetings as they like, but we ask that members only participate in meetings for communities with which they identify.

Learn more about AABC Affinity Circles

* The Global Majority includes Asian American (or of Asian descent) or Pacific Islander, Black or of African descent (African American, Afro-Caribbean, etc.), Indigenous to Americas (Alaskan Native, American Indian, Native American), Latinx or Hispanic, Southwest Asian or Northern African, or a person who is of multiple races)