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At a moment when the state of Black maternal health demands bold solutions, expanding access to midwifery care offers a path forward.

On Tuesday, March 10 at 12:00 PM ET join The Century Foundation to explore how expanded access to midwifery care can help address America’s Black maternal health crisis. We’ll elevate federal and state policy priorities that expand access to midwifery care, confront existing barriers to care, and highlight successful state efforts that are advancing the midwifery workforce. 

You’ll hear from leaders and advocates who are advancing midwifery care and building the momentum needed to drive meaningful progress for Black maternal health in the United States. This event is held in recognition of Black Midwives Day (March 14). Live CART and ASL interpretation will be provided.

Special Remarks:

  • Representative Gwen Moore (D-WI-04)

Featuring:

  • Moderator: Elizabeth Dawes, director, maternal and reproductive health, The Century Foundation 
  • Jamarah Amani, executive director, Southern Birth Justice Network
  • Breana Lipscomb, senior advisor, maternal health and rights, Center for Reproductive Rights
  • Nichole Wardlaw, founder, Jamii Birth and Wellness Services; board chair, National Black Midwives Alliance

Presented by the Black Maternal Health Federal Policy Collective, National Black Midwives Alliance, and the Southern Birth Justice Network.

Speaker Bios

Congresswoman Gwen Moore was elected to represent Wisconsin’s 4th Congressional District in 2004, making her the first African American elected to Congress from the State of Wisconsin. She is a member of the esteemed House Ways and Means Committee, which is the oldest committee in the United States Congress and has jurisdiction over the Social Security system, Medicare, the Foster Care System, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Unemployment Insurance, and all taxation, tariffs, and revenue-raising measures. She serves on the Tax, Social Security, and Work and Welfare Subcommittees. She also serves on the Joint Economic Committee.

Elizabeth Dawes (she/her) is director of maternal and reproductive health and a senior fellow at The Century Foundation, where she leads the organization’s efforts to advance maternal health equity and reproductive justice, with a focus on eradicating the structural barriers facing communities of color. Elizabeth brings extensive experience as a strategist, advocate, and convener working for Black women and people of color. 

Jamarah Amani is a Black, femme, and queer community midwife whose mission is to do her part to build a movement for Birth Justice. Jamarah is the architect of the Black Midwives Model of Care and the Birth Justice Bill of Rights. She is also the founder of Black Midwives Day, a nationally recognized holiday. Jamarah is the executive director of Southern Birth Justice Network, co-founder of National Black Midwives Alliance, and a founding member of the Queer and Transgender Midwives Association. 

Breana Lipscomb is the senior advisor, maternal health and rights at the Center for Reproductive Rights. In this role, she develops advocacy campaigns to promote Black maternal health, particularly in the South, mobilizing a broad base of stakeholders—policymakers, reproductive justice community, public health professionals, medical community, and advocates—to advance state level policies that further reproductive rights as human rights. Breana has more than ten years of experience in public health, including in nonprofits and state government. Breana has a BS in biology and a masters of public health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Nichole Wardlaw, DNP, CNM, FACNM has practiced midwifery since 2005, with two decades of experience in private, public, and military settings, as well as health education and clinical faculty advisory roles. She earned her BSN and MSN from the Medical University of South Carolina and her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Old Dominion University in 2022. Later, she received her post-master’s certificate in psychiatric mental health nursing. Nichole’s expertise and interests include: advocacy and the elevation of midwives, STI prevention, teen pregnancy, and perinatal mood disorders. She is founder of Jamii Birth and Wellness Services and a proud mother of two.