8,000 miles. Generations of wisdom. One documentary film to protect the future of Black birth and the hands that deliver us.

My name is Eva Woolridge, and storytelling is how I preserve communities throughout the world.

I'm a Leica Camera award-winning photographer, and over the years I've built a body of work I'm deeply proud of; images and stories that center reproductive rights, uplift queer communities, and preserve the voices of Black women whose histories are too often overlooked or erased.

My film In These Hands grew directly out of that dedication. The more I learned about Black birth workers and their centuries of knowledge, their resilience in the face of systemic barriers, and their essential role in keeping Black mothers alive, the more I knew this story had to be told. And told well.

The problem is in the U.S., Black women are 3x more likely to die from childbirth or pregnancy-related complications than white women. “We know the primary reasons why: systemic racial inequities and implicit bias,” said Vice President Kamala Harris, April 13, 2021.

My part in a solution is in the completion of this film, where three Queer Black filmmakers travel 8,000 miles in a van interviewing Black midwives, doulas, mothers, academic scholars, and leaders in the reproductive justice movement to highlight the significance of ancestry, the importance of listening, and the necessity of choice.

I have the skills, the relationships, and the deep commitment to see this film through. The film is already shot, and now we just need the funds to edit. What I need is a community behind it, and I hope that includes you.