Emmai Alaquiva — who refers to himself as a “cinematic poet” — said he created “The Ebony Canal” as a love letter to Black and Brown women and their children in an effort to save as many lives as possible.
“The Ebony Canal,” a Pennsylvania-made, award-winning documentary narrated by Viola Davis about maternal health among Black and Brown women, was screened in Baker Hall on Thursday night.
The documentary follows the pregnancy journeys of four Black women: Mariah Peoples, Larissa Lane, Rachel Strader and Alana Yzola-Daly.
Yzola-Daly, an associate producer of the documentary and journalist by trade, said she became involved in the project because her cousin was a long-time follower of Alaquiva.
She said her cousin encouraged her to reach out to Alaquiva because he was making a documentary on the “trials and tribulations” of being pregnant as a Black woman.
Yzola-Daly said she contacted Alaquiva to share her own story.
“We showcase people in (technology) who are making a difference, people in healthcare that are making a difference, to show that this isn’t a hopeless cause and it’s just about amplifying and shining light on those who are creating change in our communities” she said.
She also said it was the first time during her pregnancy that she felt seen.
Two weeks after giving birth, Yzola-Daly said she was laid off from her job as a journalist. Afterward, Alaquiva reached out and invited her to serve as an associate producer on the project.
“I was very, very lucky and fortunate that I got to digest this film both as the subject as well as the associate producer,” Yzola-Daly said.
She said what makes the film distinctive is that it doesn’t only focus on the struggles Black women face during pregnancy but also highlights a pathway forward for communities to rise together.
Alaquiva said the documentary’s title is a metaphor for birth and the broader journey of Black women. He said he wanted to evoke a double entendre referencing the birth canal because Black women are scientifically proven as a portal of humanity.
He also said Black women die at three times the rate of their white counterparts, and Black babies, less than one year old, die at two and a half times the rate of white babies.
“Eighty-four percent of this is preventable,” Alaquiva said. “So with the part of this eradication, we wanted to use a vessel of the arts by putting together this film and allowing it to go across the country and across the world, essentially to bring awareness to this very, very serious problem.”
Margaret Larkins-Pettigrew, a professor and the academic chair in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Drexel University, said she specializes in maternal care, particularly for women living with HIV.
She said listening to women throughout the pregnancy journey can significantly improve outcomes.
“That’s what the focus of the film is,” Larkins-Pettigrew said. “It’s showing you the challenges that Brown and Black people have in this society and throughout the world.”
Doula Janicca Covington said she’s one of the only certified Black doulas in the Lehigh Valley. She said she’s been certified for four years but has supported family and friends through pregnancy for 13 years.
“I just love this work,” Covington said. “I love being an advocate for women and their babies, and I want to see those outcomes improved for Black and Brown people.”
Tracie Springer, the president of the Lehigh Valley National Council of Negro Women, said she wishes she’d experienced a conversation like the one the documentary fosters when she was giving birth and raising her children.
Springer also said she’s proud of the project’s Pennsylvania roots, with many contributors living locally and sharing stories that highlight Black women’s health in the region.
“(Women) need to advocate for each other more,” Springer said.
Alaquiva said he plans to continue screening the documentary to raise awareness. He said there’s something “magnetic” about bringing together individuals and organizations from around the world to create change.
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