Today we’d like to introduce you to Rochelle Vincent.
Hi Rochelle, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I have a BS in Psychology in Public Health. I am a student midwife and full-spectrum birth and bodyworker; I practice in the twin cities providing childbirth education, lactation education, and placenta encapsulation when thinking of my origin story and the integral moments that led to my making. Although I’m still evolving, my elders, family, and community. The making of me has been rooted in elders guiding and connecting me, ancestors protecting me, and the community supporting me and building with me.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I wouldn’t say it’s been a smooth road; navigating society as dark-skinned plus-size black women comes with added ‘challenges.’ Living in MN, a predominantly white state, many of the spaces I enter and opportunities I strive for requires me to do twice as much to prove my validity and competency. At the same time, I am trying to maintain my emotional and mental well-being in toxic and harmful spaces, which is nothing new to many folks of color.
We’ve been impressed with Lotus Birth & BodyWorks, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I include information on my company as birth and bodyworker: Lotus Birth & BodyWorks, and on The SPIRAL Collective, the organization I represent as board chair.
~ Lotus Birth & BodyWorks:
Lotus Birth& BodyWorks provides full-spectrum Doula support (Abortion/Loss, Birth, and Postpartum), Childbirth Education, Birth Photography, Lactation Education, Placenta Encapsulation, and Massage Therapy. We strive to support individuals and families through all pregnancy outcomes and labor & delivery choices. In serving our clients, we met them where they are to be a holder of space and deliver compassionate, culturally competent, and prompt high-quality care. Care that is specific to them and their journey. We acknowledge that we completed our work on occupied and stolen Dakhóta and Anishinaabe land.
~ The SPIRAL Collective:
The SPIRAL Collective is an MN-based full-spectrum reproductive justice nonprofit. Our organization acknowledges the harm that nonprofit structures carry and work to leverage that through our work. SPIRAL- (Supporting People In Reproduction, Abortion, and Loss) is a chronically ill, disabled, queer, trans, BIPOC-centered full spectrum reproductive + healing justice and care work nonprofit. We provide radical, compassionate care in all pregnancy outcomes and experiences. In particular, we are committed to eliminating barriers to abortion access by honoring bodily autonomy and collective liberation. We provide trauma-informed, client + healing-centered practical abortion support, community-based education, and culture/narrative shifting practice. To promote reproductive justice, we center the experiences of marginalized communities in our leadership and our programming. SPIRAL’s work takes place in occupied Dakhóta territories. The SPIRAL collective has always been rooted in the community from its inception as a kitchen table collective with no budget and run by selfless founding members and volunteers to where we are now as a budding QTBIPOC-led nonprofit.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Patience, humility, connection, commitment, and community
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lotusbirthandbodyworks.com/services —and— https://www.spiralmn.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/lotusbirthandbodyworks —-and— http://instagram.com/SPIRAL_MN
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/lotusbirthandbodyworks —and— http://www.facebook.com/SPIRALMN
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/SPIRALMN
Image Credits
All images created or produced by Rochelle Vincent
