Martina Abrahams Ilunga
Martina Abrahams Ilunga is the co-founder of You Had Me at Black, a podcast dedicated to reclaiming the Black narrative by passing a microphone to regular people to share stories and creating a multimedia archive of Black life. To date, their team has recorded almost 100 stories, 80+ of which are published on their podcast (downloaded over 500k times by listeners in 31 countries), and brought the show to life on a five-city tour. You Had Me at Black’s stories have caught the attention of For Harriet, Saint Heron, and XONecole. In a past life, Martina worked in sales and marketing at tech giants like Google and Square. She graduated from Georgetown University and is an avid lover of soca music.
NATAL x NPR Life Kit: Navigating Life After Pregnancy Loss
Co-published with You Had Me At Black. In honor of Black Maternal Health Week, NATAL teamed up with NPR’s Life Kit to share stories from parents who …
NATAL, Episode 8: “Trish’s Story”
Co-published with You Had Me At Black. In the season finale, Dallas-based mother and doula, Trish, demonstrates what agency from day one looks like for Black …
NATAL, Episode 7: “Alexius’ Story”
Co-published with You Had Me At Black. This week, we discuss the stigma around home births, and explore the radical work of full-spectrum doulas and the …
NATAL, Episode 5: “Marilyn and Yvonne’s Stories”
Co-published with You Had Me At Black. Marilyn and Yvonne are two parents determined to grow their families. When pregnancy loss disrupts their plans, they turn …
NATAL, Episode 2: “Roots of the Black Birthing Crisis”
Co-published with You Had Me At Black. This week, NATAL explores the historical roots of modern obstetrics and gynecology, and how flaws in medical education and …