Please join us for a screening of the documentary film Aftershock, hosted by Columbia University Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology's Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Following the screening, there will be a talkback panel discussion with Mary D'Alton, MD, Chair of the Department of Ob/Gyn at CUIMC; Neel Shah, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Maven Clinic; and several people involved with the film including surviving partners Bruce McIntyre III, maternal health advocate and educator, and Omari Maynard, an educator and artist.
The film screening will begin at 6pm on November 2 in Alumni Auditorium, preceded by a reception beginning at 5:30pm in the Schaefer Awards Gallery.
About Aftershock
In October 2019, 30-year-old Shamony Gibson tragically died after being ignored by medical providers 13 days following the birth of her son. Two months later, we began filming Shamony's surviving mother, Shawnee Benton Gibson, and bereaved partner, Omari Maynard, as they began to process what happened and figure out their new normal.
In April 2020, 26-year-old Amber Rose Isaac, died due to an emergency c-section that stemmed from medical negligence. Within weeks of Amber's death, Omari reaches out to Amber's surviving partner Bruce McIntyre and a lifelong bond is formed. Together, Omari and Bruce begin the fight for justice for their partners with their families and community by their side, while caring for their children as newly single parents.
Through the film, we witness these two families become ardent activists in the maternal health space, seeking justice through legislation, medical accountability, community, and the power of art. Their work introduces us to a myriad of people including a growing brotherhood of surviving Black fathers, along with the work of midwives and physicians on the ground fighting for institutional reform. Through their collective journeys, we find ourselves on the front lines of the growing birth justice movement that is demanding systemic change within our medical system and government.
