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America’s maternal health crisis demands more than protecting the progress we’ve made. The next Congress will have an opportunity to chart a new course—and advocates closest to the crisis have a clear vision for what it should look like. 

Join The Century Foundation on Thursday, October 15, at 12:00 PM ET for a timely conversation about the maternal health priorities the next Congress should take up in 2027 and beyond. Speakers will highlight emerging opportunities for change, share lessons from the communities leading this work, and lay out a collective vision for building a more equitable maternal health system. 

Drawing on years of organizing, policy advocacy, and community leadership, members of the Black Maternal Health Federal Policy Collective will outline the policies, investments, and structural changes needed to deliver meaningful progress for Black mothers, birthing people, and families. 

Featured speakers:

  • Jamille Fields Allsbrook, Assistant Professor of Law, Howard University School of Law and Senior Fellow, National Partnership for Women & Families
  • Breana Lipscomb, Senior Advisor, U.S. Maternal Health & Rights, Center for Reproductive Rights
  • Toshira Maldonado, Co-Founder & Director of Community Engagement & Programs, Most Beautiful W.O.M.B. Inc.  
  • Chanel Porchia-Albert, Founder & Executive Director, Ancient Song

Live CART and ASL interpretation will be provided.

Presented by The Century Foundation.

Speaker Bios

Jamille Fields Allsbrook is an Assistant Professor of Law at Howard University School of Law and a Senior Fellow with the National Partnership for Women & Families. Jamille’s research and scholarship centers on advancing health equity for women, people of color, and people with low incomes. She has spent a decade in Washington, D.C. with experiences in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and in various nonprofit organizations including the Center for American Progress, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and the National Health Law Program.

Breana Lipscomb is the Senior Advisor of Maternal Health & Rights for the Center for Reproductive Rights. She has more than 20 years of public health experience, with deep expertise in state government and nonprofit management. In her current role, she uses the human rights framework to develop advocacy strategies to advance maternal health equity through state and federal policies. Breana is based in Atlanta, GA and serves as the Board of Directors Co-Chair for the Black Mamas Matter Alliance and is a board member of the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective. Breana has been formally recognized by the Georgia State House of Representatives for her maternal health advocacy work and was named the inaugural Kira Johnson Advocate of the Year by March for Moms in 2020.

Toshira Maldonado is the Founder and Director of Community Engagement & Programs at Most Beautiful W.O.M.B. Inc. and the Chief Operating Officer of Melanin and Maternal Wellness and Ubuntu Birth Justice Coalition. She has more than 28 years of experience as a Black maternal health advocate, birthworker, and community leader supporting mothers and families domestically and internationally (Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe), as well as ten years of professional experience in child welfare. She co-chairs Thrive New Jersey’s Maternal Justice Subcommittee and is an active member of the Atlantic County Commission on the Status of Women. Across her work, she promotes maternal mental health, family preservation, and reproductive justice, and connects community knowledge and frontline experiences with policy advocacy to ensure Black mothers and families can thrive.

Chanel Porchia-Albert is the founder and executive director of Ancient Song, a global birth justice organization dedicated to eradicating maternal and infant mortality and morbidity among Black and Latinx communities. Chanel’s work has taken her around the world including to Uganda, where she served as a maternal health strategist, and to Ethiopia where she worked with the Ministry of Health to establish a doula program. She also played a vital role in creating the New York City Standards for Respectful Care at Birth and was appointed as a Commissioner by former New York City Mayor Eric Adams to the New York City Commission for Gender Equity.