S.F. doula program tackles birth equity and economic justice in one fell swoop

Young, Black, and unmarried, Marlee-I Mystic felt rushed, belittled and disrespected by hospital staff during her first daughter’s birth. Eight years ago, she became a birth doula to help other San Francisco Bay Area women avoid her experience.

But it didn’t pay her bills. “I’ve always had to do doula work as a side hustle,” said Mystic. “If I was working with a Black woman, I was volunteering.”