SPONSORS: 2024 Black Midwives Day Conference

 In 2022, NBMA launched a campaign to establish March 14 as Black Midwives Day

The first Black midwives on American soil were African people who brought with them traditional knowledge, beliefs, ideas, rituals, tools, approaches, and methods that existed in Africa for thousands of years.  

Ancient birth practices and rituals were passed down from generations to generations through a calling to midwifery.

A nationally recognized Black Midwives Day venerates the work and contributions of past and present birth attendants who have served to usher in new life despite a history fraught with persecution, enslavement, violence, racism and the systematic erasure of community Black midwives throughout the 20th century.

The resurgence of Black midwifery is a testament to the resilience, resistance, and determination of spirit in the preservation of healing modalities that are practiced all over the world. The focus on holistic care, which involves caring for the whole person, family and community, is what makes a difference in midwifery. 

It honors a birthing person’s right to bodily autonomy; can be facilitated at home, in a birth center, or hospital; and works in tandem with doulas, community health workers, obstetricians, pediatricians, and other health care providers.

Black families need access to Black midwives to receive culturally sensitive and  congruent care established through trust and respect; backed with the wisdom of time honored technique and best practices.

• To strengthen the base of Black midwives and their supporters,
• To preserve the cultural history of Black midwifery as an important part of the story of America,
• To provide advocacy tools that eliminate barriers to education and resources for Black midwives,
• To build power by developing a national unified voice that advocates for Black midwifery,
• To address perinatal health disparities that impact Black communities,
• To elevate the consumer demand for access to midwifery and community birth.

"NBMA Director, Jamarah Amani, along with key midwifery stakeholders have been working to get Black Midwives Day recognized across the United States. On March 16, 2023, the Rhode Island Senate passed SR680, a resolution recognizing March 14 as Black Midwives Day in the state of Rhode Island. 

By centering Black midwives in the community we gain access to a channel for cultural knowledge, methods, tools, and values that will remedy poor maternal health outcomes through the extension of black birthing traditions that are rooted in African, African-American, and other indigenous people. If you are in support, please sign The Black Midwives Day Petition. 

We encourage you to reshare any of the Black Midwives Day promotions on our social media channels and website:

www.blackmidwivesalliance.org

Instagram: @blackmidwivesalliance

Facebook: @blackmidwives

Twitter: @black_midwives

We encourage you to use these hashtags:

#BlackMidwivesDay 

#celebrateblackmidwives 

#NBMA 

#blackmidwives

#BMDCelebration