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Black Women's Dept. of Labor

Black Women's Dept. of Labor

A project and podcast by Taja Lindley examining the intersections of race, gender and the double entendre of labor: to work and to give birth. Formerly known as the Birth Justice Podcast NYC. Produced by Colored Girls Hustle.

Recent Episodes

Cultivating Abundance Beyond Capitalism: Experiments in Commerce & Economy

August 31, 2022

Cultivating Abundance Beyond Capitalism: Experiments in Commerce & Economy

“What does a post capitalist future look like?” ~ Renee Hatcher In our season finale, our brilliant guests share their experience and experiments in commerce and economy to answer this question. Tune in to learn more about: W...

Domestic Workers Part 2: Community Organizing Strategies & Contexts Historically & Today

August 17, 2022

Domestic Workers Part 2: Community Organizing Strategies & Contexts Historically & Today

We're continuing our conversation about domestic labor with a deep dive into the historical and current practice of organizing domestic workers for dignity and respect including: the role of storytelling in building collecti...

Domestic Workers Part 1: The Labor That Makes All Other Work Possible

August 03, 2022

Domestic Workers Part 1: The Labor That Makes All Other Work Possible

“I remembered reminding myself that I would never work for wealthy families again.” ~ Allison Julien Taking care of children, disabled folks, the elderly, and the home is important work, but it doesn’t always get the respect ...

Back to Work: Examining Labor Narratives During Welfare Reform & the Pandemic

July 06, 2022

Back to Work: Examining Labor Narratives During Welfare Reform & the Pandemic

Welfare reform in the 90’s and the recent pandemic may seem like radically different moments in history but they share a few things in common, namely back to work labor narratives that: are overly reliant on frameworks of per...

Discovering Your Purpose with Astrology

June 22, 2022

Discovering Your Purpose with Astrology

Have you ever asked yourself: “why am I alive?”| “what is my calling?” | “what’s my next career move?” If so, this episode is for you! In this intergenerational podcast workshop, we discuss: Astrology 101 covering signs, elem...

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI)  | A Panel Discussion about Race, Gender, & the Labor of Anti-Oppression Work

June 08, 2022

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) | A Panel Discussion about Race, Gender, & the Labor of Anti-Oppression Work

“We are in the business of putting ourselves out of business.” Nico Le Blanc In our first - and only! - panel discussion of the season, Taja Lindley facilitates a conversation with 3 diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) pra...

All Black Everything

May 25, 2022

All Black Everything

Is a diverse healthcare workforce enough to eradicate racism in medicine ? The short is: no. Using race to remedy racism is not enough. And let's talk about why with four Black providers in reproductive health: an OBGYN, a nu...

The A.R.T. of Birthing with Olivia Ford

May 11, 2022

The A.R.T. of Birthing with Olivia Ford

Part Two: The Old Fashion Gay Way Are you curious about how to get pregnant when queer? “Don't use a turkey baster!” Olivia Ford Olivia started her path to parenthood before being partnered. After her intuition told her it wa...

The A.R.T. of Birthing with LeConté Dill

April 27, 2022

The A.R.T. of Birthing with LeConté Dill

Part One: The Ol’ Mama Gang “I saw my daughter for the first time in a vision while I was meditating.” LeConté Dill After Dr. LeConté Dill ’s vision in 2014, she met her husband, had an epic first date, eloped, and began her ...

Gendered as Laborers with Jennifer Morgan & Dorothy Roberts

April 13, 2022

Gendered as Laborers with Jennifer Morgan & Dorothy Roberts

A Select History of Race, Labor, & Reproduction in the U.S. “Black women are at the heart of the history of the Atlantic world.” Jennifer Morgan What does it mean to be gendered as laborers? Both physiologically and economic...

Introducing the Black Women's Dept. of Labor

April 01, 2022

Introducing the Black Women's Dept. of Labor

Welcome to the Black Women's Dept. of Labor - a project and podcast by Taja Lindley about race, gender, and the double entendre of labor: to work and to give birth. The first episode premieres Wednesday April 13th, 2022 durin...

Recent Blog Posts

Pump & Feed Performance Replay

"Pump & Feed" is a (virtual) performance ritual by Taja Lindley that comments on the labor of breastfeeding when returning to work after maternity leave.

National Postpartum Awareness Week Performance

Taja Lindley - creator and host of the Black Women's Dept. of Labor - will be sharing a short performance during Day 2 of the Inaugural National Postpart…

Join us at the 8th Annual Mother Wit Conference!

This weekend the host and creator of the Black Women's Dept. of Labor Podcast - Taja Lindley - will be presenting at the 8th Annual Mother Wit Conference!