Thu, Apr 27
|Spurlock Museum
Film + Discussion: "Aftershock"
Following the preventable deaths of their loved ones due to childbirth complications, two families galvanize activists, birth-workers, and physicians to reckon with one of the most pressing American crises of our time – the U.S. maternal health crisis.
Time & Location
Apr 27, 2023, 7:00 PM
Spurlock Museum, 600 S Gregory St, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
About the Event
Join us for a screening and discussion of the award-winning documentary film "Aftershock."
When a Black mother dies, there is a ripple effect.
Discussion will be led by BIPOC for Better Birth and Jenice Fountain from Alabama's Yellowhammer Fund.
In October 2019, 30-year-old Shamony Gibson tragically died 13 days following the birth of her son. Two months later, we began filming Shamony's surviving mother, Shawnee Benton Gibson, and bereaved partner, Omari Maynard, as they began to process what happened and figure out their new normal. In April 2020, 26-year-old Amber Rose Isaac, died due to an emergency c-section. Within weeks of Amber's death, Omari reaches out to Amber's surviving partner Bruce McIntyre and a lifelong bond is formed. Together, Omari and Bruce begin the fight for justice for their partners with their families and community by their side, while caring for their children as newly single parents.
Through the film, we witness these two families become ardent activists in the maternal health space, seeking justice through legislation, medical accountability, community, and the power of art. Their work introduces us to a myriad of people including a growing brotherhood of surviving Black fathers, along with the work of midwives and physicians on the ground fighting for institutional reform. Through their collective journeys, we find ourselves on the front lines of the growing birth justice movement that is demanding systemic change within our medical system and government.