NBMA 2025 Conference

SHAFIA MONROE, DEM, CDT, MPH

Opening Ceremony Libation

Shafia Monroe is a legendary pioneer midwife, doula trainer, and cultural competency advocate whose visionary work has revolutionized maternal and infant health, particularly within communities of color. As the International Center for Traditional Childbearing (ICTC) founder, she has been instrumental in reviving the art and science of African-centered midwifery and doula care. Monroe has dedicated her life to combating health disparities by reducing Black maternal and infant mortality rates, empowering families, and building a robust network of culturally competent birth workers.

Her teachings masterfully blend ancestral wisdom with contemporary practices, emphasizing holistic care and community empowerment. Monroe's signature programs, such as the Full Circle Doula Birth Companion Training, have educated thousands globally, creating a generation of compassionate and skilled birth workers. A dynamic public speaker and educator, she inspires communities to embrace traditional healing while addressing systemic challenges in healthcare. Through her relentless advocacy and trailblazing initiatives, Shafia Monroe continues to shape a world where equitable healthcare improves maternal and infant health.

Monroe is an NBMA Board member.

AUDREY GENTRY-BROWN, STUDENT MIDWIFE

Conference Student Ambassador (Student Reflections; Conference Transitions; Reading of NBMA's Black Midwifery Herstory Timeline)

Audrey Gentry-Brown is a learning midwife enrolled at Da Roots Traditional Midwifery School, pursuing licensure through the PEP route while supporting families as a Birth Assistant at Birth Care and Women’s Health. She began her apprenticeship at Gather Grounded Midwifery under the guidance of the incredible Racha Tahani Lawler Queen and will complete her hands-on learning at Mama’s Midwife Homebirth Services.

Audrey wears many hats in the birth community—she serves as an admin of the Black Student Midwives Facebook group, co-facilitator of the Black Student Midwives Study Group, co-founder of The Cypher Collective, and co-host of The Cypher Circle Podcast. Each of these roles allows her to uplift, support, and build community among Black midwifery students and midwives, ensuring that they are nurtured, empowered, and fully equipped to carry this sacred work forward.

NAOMIE PAYEN, STUDENT MIDWIFE

Conference Student Ambassador (Student Reflections; Conference Transitions)

Naomie Payen is a student midwife at Commonsense Childbirth School of Midwifery. Her decision to become a midwife was ignited after attending the birth of a childhood friend and witnessing how treatment by hospital staff left this friend feeling void after what was supposed to have been, instead, one of the happiest moments of her life. While completing her first master's degree program in community and social change with a focus in global health, Naomie dedicated her academic focus on disparities faced by Black and Indigenous women, further fueling her desire to serve communities of women that look like her.

GOLDA FRANÇOIS, STUDENT MIDWIFE

Conference Student Ambassador (Student Reflections; Conference Transitions)

Golda François is a senior student midwife at Florida School of Traditional Midwifery based in Miami, Florida. She is honored to walk in the footsteps that have been planted before her in order to create her own. As a self-proclaimed student of life, Golda feels it is an immeasurable and invaluable opportunity to learn from those who came before her in order to shape how she will lead in the future.

Growing up as a first generation Haitian American, the concept of a midwife is something that is deeply woven in Golda's culture and history. For her, this calling was concretely given to her after witnessing her first birth by a midwife. She knew while watching the midwife maneuver the room, shifting the energy and making it happen, that that was where she needed to be. Golda feels it is simply a bonus that she gets to work alongside those who look like her in order to make a positive impact in their lives and their children’s future.

ELDER ATUM AZZAHIR, Founder/ Executive Director of the Cultural Wellness Center, Minneapolis, MN

Panelist: The Culture Keepers: From the Traditional to the 21st Century—Black Midwives as Community Healers

Elder Atum is a teacher and practitioner of African thought and spirituality. She received her honorary Doctor of Literature D-Litt Kemii from the International Khepran Institute in 2007. Over the span of several decades, Elder Atum has developed and managed many organizations and has designed rites of passage programs, initiations, and ceremonies for healing, community models for workforce redevelopment, and entrepreneurship and mediation practices. From 1987 to 2010, Elder Atum founded or co-founded the following organizations: the widely acclaimed Cultural Wellness Center in Minneapolis and St. Paul; the Cultural Wellness & African American Economic Development Center in St. Paul; the Cultural Wellness & Temple of Kem in Nassau, Bahamas; Elders Other Mothers and Daughters of Africa; The International Khepran Institute; the implementation of the city-wide school readiness program Way to Grow in Minneapolis, and the The Asili Institute for Women of African Descent.

Elder Atum has been acknowledged by the Salzburg Austria Fellowship and received the Robert Wood Johnson Community Health Leadership award as well as the Leadership in Neighborhood awards, which granted over $140,000 for work at the Cultural Wellness Center. The Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation has also acknowledged Atum with their prestigious Leader in Health Award.

Elder Atum has traveled and studied with Elders in West African countries including Ghana, Senegal, and Benin; in Caribbean countries such as the Bahamas, Jamaica, and Grenada; and in many states in the United States. She has also taken what she describes as an Intellectual Pilgrimage to Egypt with her teacher and husband Ahmad Azzahir.

JANET WILLIAMS, (she/her), Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), MSM, Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM), FACNM

Presenter: B.L.A.C.K. Mothers Interrupted: Eliminating Implicit Bias and Systemic Racism in Practice

Dr. Janet A. Williams, MSM, CNM, FACNM, received her doctorate from Wilkes University and a master's degree in midwifery from SUNY Downstate. She is a board-certified nurse-midwife who worked for 21 years in a municipal midwifery practice and assisted more than 900 babies earthside. She held an appointment as a clinical instructor for Columbia University graduate midwifery students. She is a Fellow of the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM). Dr. J, as she is fondly called, also currently serves on the Board of Directors of BQLI Area Health Education Center. She is a member of Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Inc., holding the Chair of their National Maternal Child Taskforce, and also a member of Kappa Eta Chapter, Inc. She is the CEO of Transitions Women’s Health Consulting, where she works with organizations as a consultant, speaker, and course creator to impart information to women and healthcare providers.

Dr. Janet Williams is a highly sought-after trainer and speaker who has been featured on national and international platforms. She is the author of the journal for new moms entitled “Transitions 4th Trimester Journal …Transforming." She created a signature program, a five-part framework to educate health professionals entitled “B.L.A.C.K. Mothers Interrupted.” This cutting-edge program has launched her as the go-to maternal health professional for educating providers about implicit bias and racism as root causes of maternal health inequities, and how they affect the care women receive.

KAYTURA FELIX, (she/her/hers), MD

Co-Presenter: Sister, Mentor, Friend: Why Black Clients Choose Black Midwifery

Dr. Kaytura Felix is the principal investigator for The Black Birthing Futures Project and Distinguished Scholar in the Department of Health Policy and Management at Johns Hopkins University. She trained as a physician and health services researcher and has over 25 years of experience leading national public health initiatives.

JAY MAWULI, (they/them), BS

Co-Presenter: Sister, Mentor, Friend: Why Black Clients Choose Black Midwifery

Jay Mawuli is a quantitative researcher with experience evaluating attention and visual and social bias. They hold a BS in Psychology.

SEKESA BERRY, Traditional Midwife, Founder and Executive Director, Atlanta Doula Collective

Panelist: The Culture Keepers: From the Traditional to the 21st Century—Black Midwives as Community Healers

Sekesa is a prominent and dedicated community leader in Georgia, renowned for her expertise in Black maternal health and the Birth Justice movement. As a passionate advocate for reproductive justice, she has collaborated with numerous organizations and local non-profit foundations to decolonize birth, reduce birth traumas, and restore natural birth rights to Black families. With nearly two decades of experience in perinatal support, Sekesa has developed a diverse range of skills and knowledge, working in various roles such as a doula, lactation consultant, childbirth educator, midwife, and currently as the Founder and Executive Director of the Atlanta Doula Collective.

Sekesa is a multifaceted professional who has made a significant impact in the field of Birth Justice. As an accomplished author and curator, she has developed several training curricula, including the Maternal Health Awareness Training (also known as Advanced Doula Skills Training) and The Innerstanding Birthwork Training. Her commitment to promoting Birth Justice is further evident in her non-profit organization's recent collaboration with other thought leaders to establish National Black Doula Day in 2024. This initiative has inspired Sekesa to expand her reach across the state as the Georgia Black Doula Network and Training Institute, where she offers a comprehensive nine-month beginner's doula training program that includes professional development and mentorship. This program aims to increase representation of Black doulas in rural Georgia, particularly in identified healthcare deserts. Through her unwavering dedication and perseverance, Sekesa has become a cherished and invaluable resource to her community. However, despite her many roles and titles, she values her role as a mother to her four children and a community mother to many above all.

NICHOLE WARDLAW, (she/her/they/them), Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM)

Reading of the Black Midwives Prayer
Panelist: Having Our Say: Black Leaders of Professional Midwifery Organizations
Final Announcements, Closing, Call-to-Action

Nichole Wardlaw's professional career in midwifery has spanned 16 years and includes health education consultancy, full scope midwifery services in private, public and military facilities, and clinical faculty advisory. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from the Medical University of South Carolina, completing her studies in 2005. Her desire to listen to women was the motivation that led her to midwifery; she sees midwifery as her calling in life.

Seeing herself as a partner in her patients’ health care, Nichole is passionate about working with women, individuals, and families to ensure safe and informed care. Her areas of expertise include sexually transmitted disease education/prevention and teen pregnancy, with a special interest in transgender care. A key voice in midwifery and maternal health advocacy, Nichole has held many significant leadership roles including serving as the Region II Representative to the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) Board of Directors and holding many committee roles within ACNM including Vice-Chair of the Midwives of Color Committee (MOCC) from 2009-2013. From 2022 to 2024, Nichole was the Community Engagement Coordinator of the National Black Midwives Alliance (NBMA) and currently serves as the Board Chair of the NBMA Board of Directors.

Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Nichole loves coastal living. She is the mother of two daughters and has one fur baby as well. In her free time, she enjoys travel, knitting, and exploring different cultures.

DR. SHAREE LIVINGSTON, (she/her), DO FACOG

Presenter: Improving Maternal Health Outcomes Through Collaborative Care Models

Dr. Sharee Livingston is a board-certified OB/GYN in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and after 17 years of practicing medicine, she sees the direct impact of health disparities on our communities. She is wholly invested in eliminating health disparities and decreasing maternal morbidity and mortality in pregnant people of color and is committed to identifying and dismantling systemic contributors to these health disparities. In addition to her clinical practice, she is a founding board member of Patients R Waiting (PRW) and co-founder of the Diversifying Doulas Initiative (DDI).

PRW's mission is to eliminate health disparities by increasing diversity in medicine. The Diversifying Doulas Initiative aims to decrease maternal morbidity and mortality by diversifying the perinatal workforce and providing full scope doula care in vulnerable communities. It is through Dr. Livingston's clinical practice and advocacy that she strives to diversify medicine by creating the Lancaster County Health Equity Center – Black Doctor Factory. The primary goal of the project titled: Assessing Telemedicine and AI to Address Maternal Health Disparities is to explore barriers to broader adoption of telemedicine for maternal care for Black patients.

OKUNSOLA M. AMADOU, The Midwifery FolkloristTM, Midwife, Cultural Preservationist, Birth PriestessTM, Folk MidwifeTM Thought Leader

Panelist: The Culture Keepers: From the Traditional to the 21st Century—Black Midwives as Community Healers

Okunsola M. Amadou, known as The Midwifery FolkloristTM, is a multi-award winning, pioneering midwife, Museum Studies Scholar, Midwifery Historian, and cultural preservationist dedicated to reclaiming and safeguarding ancestral birthwork traditions. After a decade of balancing westernized clinical midwifery and traditional practices as the Founder & CEO of Jamaa Birth Village—Missouri’s first Black-led midwifery clinic—Okunsola transitioned from clinical practice to full-time cultural preservation to ensure the survival of Folk MidwiferyTM and Birth PriestessTM lineages worldwide.

As a Museum Studies scholar, midwifery historian, and initiated Vodun-Mami Wata, Ifa & Orisa Priestess, she is leading a groundbreaking movement to document, protect, and advance the rituals, ceremonies, and oral histories of indigenous midwives across time and cultures. In 2024, she launched The Midwifery FolkloristTM, a cultural heritage initiative offering both public education and private pathways to honor, train, and initiate Folk MidwivesTM and Birth PriestessesTM—roles that have been historically erased but remain essential to birth justice and maternal well-being.

Her forthcoming book, “The Black Midwife OracleTM,” set for pre-release on Black Midwives Day (March 14, 2025) and full release on April 15, 2025, will be the first published collection series and oracle–documenting the sacred history, ceremonies, and lived experiences of Black Grand Midwives—preserving their wisdom for generations to come.

Through oral history archiving, research, museum integration, and global storytelling, Okunsola is redefining the legacy of midwifery—not just as a clinical practice but as a sacred, ancestral calling.

“The Midwifery FolkloristTM is a bridge between the past and the present, uncovering the untold stories, practices, and rituals of midwives across time and cultures.”

KEISHA GOODE, (she/her/hers), PhD, Assistant Professor of Sociology

Panel Moderator: Having Our Say: Black Leaders of Professional Midwifery Organizations

Keisha Goode, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the State University of New York—College at Old Westbury but most identifies as a Black midwifery enthusiast. Her primary research area is the medicalization of pregnancy and childbirth in the U.S., with a focus on Black midwifery. She was appointed as the first Public Member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Certified Professional Midwives (NACPM) in 2015 and served until the end of her term in November 2024. She is the co-author of Pregnancy and Birth: A Reference Handbook, published with ABC-CLIO press in June of 2021. She is most proud of her book under contract with Columbia University Press: Birthing, Blackness and the Body: Black Midwives and the Pursuit of Reproductive Justice. It is an update and expansion on her 2014 dissertation about the experiences and perceptions of contemporary U.S. Black midwives. She is the recipient of the 2024 National Black Midwives Alliance Astounding Advocacy Award, an honor for which she is most proud. Keisha, as of January 2025, currently serves as a board member on NBMA's Board of Directors.

EBONY MARCELLE, (she/her), Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM), FACNM

A Patient-Centered Approach to Increase Optimal Postpartum Care in an Urban Health Clinic

Ebony Marcelle is the Director of Midwifery at Community of Hope that includes the Family Health and Birth Center. Formerly the Administrative Chief of Midwifery Service at Medstar Washington Hospital Center, she completed her nursing education at Georgetown University, midwifery education at Jefferson University, and her doctorate at Frontier University.

In 2019, she was inducted as a Fellow into the American College of Nurse Midwives. In 2018, she completed Duke University and Johnson & Johnson Nursing Leadership Fellowship. She has been adjunct faculty at Georgetown University and guest faculty at IHI (Institute of Health Improvement) focused on rebuilding systems to address racism and health equity. Her advocacy work has included multiple congressional briefings creating awareness around the need for policy changes to reduce maternity care disparities.

Dr. Marcelle is known for her passion in midwifery and midwifery’s role in reproductive justice. She has built culturally aware clinical models of care specifically for under-resourced Black women. She currently serves on the following boards: the National Association for the Advancement of Black Birth and the American Association of Birth Centers. She is also a collaborator with Black Mamas Matter Alliance. In 2019, she was appointed to the District’s Inaugural Maternal Mortality Review Committee and is currently in her second term.

She resides in Washington, D.C., with her husband, step-son, and daughter.

JAMARAH AMANI, (she/her/Queen), Licensed Midwife (LM)

Opening Ceremony Welcome
Panel Moderator: The Culture Keepers: From the Traditional to the 21st Century—Black Midwives as Community Healers
Black Midwives Day Proclamations
Host of Award Ceremony

Jamarah Amani, LM is a community midwife who believes in the transformative and healing power of birth and that every baby has a human right to human milk. Her mission is to do her part to build a movement for Birth Justice locally, nationally and globally. Jamarah is the architect of the Birth Justice framework, the Black Midwives Model of

Care and the Birth Justice Bill of Rights. Jamarah

identifies as Black, Femme and Queer.

A community organizer from the age of sixteen, Jamarah has worked with several organizations across the United States, the Caribbean and in Africa on various public health issues, including HIV prevention, infant mortality risk reduction, access to emergency contraception and access to midwifery care. As a birth worker and activist, Jamarah has been tackling issues of racial justice, including the epidemics of Black maternal and infant morbidity/mortality for over fifteen years. She is currently the Executive Director of Southern Birth Justice Network, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization working to expand the Birth Justice movement and to make midwifery and doula care accessible to marginalized communities. She is also the co-founder of National Black Midwives Alliance, the only national professional association in the U.S. specifically for midwives of African descent, and a founding member of the Queer and Transgender Midwives Association.

Jamarah is the recipient of the 2019 Trailblazer Award from the City of Miami, which proclaimed a day in her honor — Jamarah Amani Day, celebrated annually on March 14. To honor the legacy and impact of Black midwives, she repurposed the day as Black Midwives Day, launching a campaign under the National Black Midwives Alliance and the Southern Birth Justice Network. She has been featured in a variety of media outlets including PBS, NPR, NBC and publications such as Vox, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and The Washington Post, among others. She has written for news outlets including the Miami Times and Miami Herald. Jamarah has additionally received the honor of being awarded the inaugural Umm Salaamah Sondra Abdullah-Zaimah Birthworker Award from Black Mamas Matter Alliance.

In addition to parenting four children and watching the sunrise whenever possible, Jamarah offers midwifery care to families in South Florida and teaches workshops on Birth Justice to organizations across the United States.

TRINISHA WILLIAMS, (she/her), Certified Midwife (CM), Licensed Midwife (LM), MPH, FACCE, LCCE, LC

Panelist: Having Our Say: Black Leaders of Professional Midwifery Organizations

Trinisha Williams is a dedicated midwife and maternal health advocate with over two decades of experience. She began her healthcare career in 1996 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Women’s Studies from Hobart and William Smith Colleges. Trinisha earned a master’s in public health with a focus on Women’s Health from Hunter College, after which she held various leadership roles in health education, including at Bellevue Hospital and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. She became a Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator in 2002 and completed her degree in Midwifery at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in 2003. Trinisha has attended over a thousand births in hospitals, homes, and birth centers.

In 2014, she founded Midwife in the City, PC a home birth midwifery practice, and served as Director of Midwifery at Brooklyn Midwifery Group, where she opened a second location, Jazz Birthing Center of Manhattan, during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, she joined the Board of Directors of the American Association of Birth Centers (AABC), and in late 2024, she assumed the role of President of the Board for the American Association of Birth Centers.

Trinisha also established Haven Midwifery Collective, a nonprofit aiming to create NYC's first midwifery-led birth center, where she serves as President and Founder. Throughout her career, she has remained deeply committed to addressing maternal health disparities, particularly for underserved communities, and ensuring birthing centers are viable options for all low-risk birthing people. Trinisha is a Brooklyn

native, currently residing there, and enjoys life as a wife and aunt of 12.

TAMARA ETIENNE, Doula, Student Midwife, MHA, B.Ed.

Panelist: The Culture Keepers: From the Traditional to the 21st Century—Black Midwives as Community Healers

Tamara Etienne is a Certified Full Spectrum Birth Justice Doula, Pregnancy and Birth Educator, Student Midwife, Bain Fey Practitioner and Trainer, and once upon a time, an Elementary School Teacher. She is the founder and co-owner of Labor Land, an organization striving to make Bain Fey, traditional Haitian Post Pregnancy Herbal Care, common to all people, from all walks of life. As well, Tamara works to bring birth workers and families together in times of need at Labor Land Agency. She and her mother Marie Helene Labastille co-authored Bain Fey: A Step-by-Step Guide to Haitian Post Pregnancy Herbal Care. Tamara is consistently working to create a safe space for women, mothers, and families researching various topics such as pregnancy issues, maternal health, miscarriage, birth discrimination, and alternative birth options through the Labor Land community.

Tamara has a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, a master’s degree in Health Administration, and is a DONA trained and SBJN Certified Full Spectrum Birth Justice Doula. She is part of the National Black Doula Association, the South Florida Birth Doula Collective, and is a Metro Mommy Agency Doula Mentee. Tamara is the Operations Director at Southern Birth Justice Network, where she works daily to support pregnant folks, mamas, babies, and Birth workers as they seek for and fight for for birth Justice.

Tamara lives in Miami Beach, FL with her husband Jeremie and her four children. She loves crafting new ideas, dancing, eating (especially Haitian Food!), reading, having a house full of children and talking about all things birth, wellness, herbs, blackness and business.

DR. JESSICA BRUMLEY, (she/her), PhD, Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM), FACNM

Panelist: Having Our Say: Black Leaders of Professional Midwifery Organizations
Co-Presenter: Safe Transfers Now!

Jessica Brumley PhD, CNM, FACNM is a certified nurse-midwife, researcher, educator, and leader in the field of maternal health. She has been a local, regional, and national leader in the American College of Nurse Midwives and is the current President. She has practiced clinically for over 20 years and is the Director of the Division of Midwifery at the University of South Florida. She is an Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Health Equity in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Brumley is passionate about improving health equity for women and reducing racial and ethnic disparities in pregnancy outcomes. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of South Florida. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from the New York University School of Nursing with a master’s degree in midwifery and Magna Cum Laude from the University of South Florida College of Nursing with a PhD.

Dr. Brumley is an expert in midwifery care and has extensive experience teaching medical students, residents, and nurse practitioner students with a special focus on normal physiologic birth. She has presented nationally and regionally on various topics related to maternal health, racial disparities, and midwifery care. She has authored and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed publications on issues related to midwifery, weight gain in pregnancy, and racial disparities in healthcare.

KIKI JORDAN, (she/her), Certified Professional Midwife (CPM), Licensed Midwife (LM)

Panelist: Having Our Say: Black Leaders of Professional Midwifery Organizations

Kiki is a proud Bay Area native, born and raised in Berkeley, California. She is a local community midwife and founder of Birthland Midwifery which is currently working to bring a perinatal wellness and birthing site to Oakland. At just 21 years old, Kiki was intentional about choosing an apprenticeship model of midwifery training that honored the tradition of community-based reproductive health care. Her educational journey and experience working in birth centers owned and operated by direct-entry midwives inspired her passion for creating accessible pathways to midwifery care.

Kiki has a particular interest in healing models and modalities that have the potential to improve the transgenerational trauma experienced by her own community of Black women. Kiki is the former Director of the Marin Family Birth Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center that prioritized services for families with MediCal. She has recently joined a dynamic team of Black women who lead the EMBRACE program, a Black group prenatal model that elevates the integration between maternal care and mental health services. She currently serves as the President of National Association of Certified Professional Midwives. While she has attended hundreds of births, the experience that most informs her practice and commitment to empowered birth was the transformative homebirth of her own son.

MARI-CARMEN FARMER, (she/her/ella), Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM), WHNP-BC

Co-Presenter: Safe Transfers Now!

A first-generation Afro-Latina midwife and educator, Mari-Carmen has been engaged in reproductive justice work for over 20 years. Prior to midwifery, Mari-Carmen completed a degree in Sociology and became engaged in activism and community organizing in Philadelphia. She is an Americorps alum, a seasoned doula and childbirth educator, and an experienced facilitator with a strong background in designing and leading trainings, retreats, workshops, and healing

circles. She has also applied these facilitation skills in the Centering Pregnancy model to care for diverse client populations and to lead workshops focused on

health equity and antiracism for students and clinicians around the country.

Since graduating from the CNM/WHNP program at the University of Pennsylvania in 2016, Mari-Carmen has been providing midwifery care for families from a wide range of cultures in Philadelphia and engaging midwifery students as both a mentor and preceptor. She is the founder/creative leader of Midwife y Maestra, a consulting collaborative focused on addressing trauma, building capacity, and nurturing community among midwives and other healthcare providers.

Locally, she is currently the President of Philly Metro Midwives, the Philadelphia Chapter of the PA Affiliate of the ACNM. She helped establish and organize the Philly Melanated Midwives and the Health Equity and AntiRacism Committee of the PA Affiliate and contributes her time and talent to a number of local initiatives addressing maternal morbidity and mortality. Mari-Carmen has presented at several ACNM conferences, has served as a member of MOCC (Midwives of Color Committee) and the Mentoring Subcommittee, and most recently served as a member of the ACNM Core Competencies Review Committee and as the Chair of the ACNM Scope of Practice Taskforce. Mari-Carmen is committed to centering the narratives of the people she serves, as she believes that stories create connections between individuals and communities that can catalyze powerful social change.

Page updated

Report abuse