EP 61: Designing Motherhood, Part 1 | Zoe Greggs & Gabriella Nelson

Why have the designs of motherhood remained hidden? What can we
learn from the design history of pessaries? How can we expand the
definition of motherhood? Zoë Greggs (she/they) is a Black, queer,
femme, nonbinary Philadelphia-based artist and non-profit
administrator. She holds a BFA from the University of the Arts with
a concentration in printmaking and book arts. In 2020, they
participated in ArtWell’s Equity fellowship program that champions
the power of women and nonbinary people of color as change agents
to tackle institutional race and gender bias in their organizations
and beyond. Zoë is also the Curatorial Assistant for Designing
Motherhood, where she brings her expertise of community engagement,
project management, and art history. In addition, they co-leads the
Designing Motherhood Storybanking Initiative, which utilizes the
power of storytelling to advocate for a future where caregivers can
birth with dignity, parent with autonomy, and raise babies who are
healthy, growing, and thriving. Through their passion for Black
feminism, critical race theory, and systems change, they strive to
create processes and joyful relationships that uproot systemic harm
and shift mainstream narratives about our shared history and
trajectory. Gabriella Nelson is a mother and city planner,
possessing a strong interest at the confluence of urban
development, public health, and critical pedagogy. She currently
works as the Associate Director of Policy for Maternity Care
Coalition, advocating for the best policies and practices regarding
maternal-child health and early learning. She believes the city is
for everyone, especially for those who want to stay after bearing
decades of disinvestment and devastation. Gabriella has lectured
widely on topics of maternal-child health, city planning and
advocacy, including at TEDxPhiladelphia. Gabriella is interested in
redesigning cities, systems and policies that oppress and work
against the liberation of those historically left behind. She
identifies as a problem-solver, an inquisitive thinker, and a
creative person whose experiences and opinions are deeply rooted in
her womanhood, motherhood, and Blackness.