My Internship with Give Light
By Melany Cutno
Being an Intern with Give Light Stories From Indigenous Midwives has shifted my perspective on the healthcare system and film. Coming into Tulane, I didn’t know what I wanted to do yet, so I cluelessly chose public health, not knowing that this major would change my life in the long run. During my time at Tulane, I realized that I was a filmmaker, and that was my purpose in life. Majoring in public health helped me through that process, and it led me to this internship. When looking for an internship, I wanted something that aligned with those both, which I found in Give Light.
Give Light is a nonprofit organization promoting the importance of midwives in the healthcare system and dispelling the lies/ stereotypes around them. My supervisor, Steph Smith, is the creator of the film. Before my time with Give Light, I knew about midwives but not how vital they truly are to women and our reproductive rights. This internship showed me how to advocate for my own rights as a woman while using my passion to do it. It gave me a look into the documentary side of filmmaking and the ins and outs of reproductive policy/ advocacy. I was able to tie my two passions together in this internship and expand my knowledge on a very important topic.
Reproductive rights is a huge fight that women that look like me, a black woman, fight every day. Black women have the highest risk of losing their children and even their own life due to systemic racism in the healthcare system. With my internship, I was able to play my part and give back to my community knowledge and resources on what they can do to protect themselves and their children. I was able to do research, help with community events, and reach out to other organizations and people in power who want to make reproductive health safe and effective for all women.
This was a delightful experience, and I’m so glad I was able to work with Steph and staff from Newcomb. I’m grateful to have been given the opportunity to be a part of something bigger than me and help make a change for the better.
