Each poem and origin story in this collection was created as the result of a partnership between The Good Listening Project (TGLP) and Health4Equity, an initiative of the WPP Racial Equity Programme.
About this Anthology
Through one-on-one conversations, professional poets – called Listener Poets – invited Black women Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN) residents to pause and reflect on one simple, yet powerful question: “What would you like your poem to be about?”
Then, they listened.
The Good Listening Project is committed to working with partners who are actively engaged in ensuring that all members of society receive high quality, compassionate, and respectful care and healing. In the case of people and communities who have experienced histories of medical neglect, bias, and harm, this is not just about professionalism but is also a matter of justice. The women whose stories are reflected in poetry in this anthology are simultaneously professionals in the medical establishment and members of a group that historically received – and, tragically, too often currently receives – care from that establishment that does not fully acknowledge their whole humanity.
Our hope is that their stories will be helpful to other Black women who are currently in training and those who are hoping to enter the discipline of obstetrics and gynecology. We also hope that the volume provides insights for professionals who work alongside, educate, support, and train these physicians.
Yvette Perry, PhD
Lead Project Editor & The Good Listening Project Health Equity Programs Lead
