DATE: 04/11/2026
TIME: 11:00am CST
LOCATION: Virtual Press Conference
COST: FREE
EVENT DESCRIPTION:
Kicking off Black Maternal Health Week 2026 (#BMHW26), in collaboration with Jamaa Birth Village, Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Ancient Song, the Georgia Black Doula Network, ROOTT, Sankofa Healing Center, and Southern Birth Justice Network-the Black Doula Day Virtual Press Conference aims to celebrate Black Doulas on the Front Lines of Black Maternal Health.
This year’s Black Doula Day™ Global Celebration is a powerful declaration that our future lies in the wisdom of our past. As we launch this movement on a global scale, we center the timeless knowledge of our ancestors, embracing community-based birthwork, holistic restoration, and sustainable Black maternal health efforts.
Black doulas have always been the keepers of sacred birth traditions, acting as healers, advocates, and guardians of life. Through this year’s theme, we call on doulas, midwives, birthing people, and the broader community to reclaim and restore ancestral birthing practices that have sustained us for generations, practices that prioritize care over profit, relationships over institutions, and healing over harm.
This year, the Black Doula Day Planning Committee will launch a Special Announcement, uplifitng continual support for Black Doulas across the globe throughout the year through a new initiative and fund.
Featured Speakers Include:
Okunsola M. Amadou – Founder of Black Doula Day™, Jamaa Birth Village
Qiana Lewis – Doula, Healer & Reproductive Justice Warrior with Jamaa Birth Village and the Texas Doula Association
Erica Dickson – Doula & Executive Director with the Missouri Community Doula Council & Mid-MO Black Doula Collective
Mama Sarahn Henderson– Doula Pioneer and Elder Midwife with Birth in the Tradition
This years press conference is a call to action for honoring Black Doulas while also investing in their wellness, well-being, and restorative joy practices.
2025 Black Doula Day Featured Speakers
Milan Spencer
Black Mamas Matter Alliance
James Hogue
Fathers Assisting Mothers
Doula Gosego
S. African Doula for Deaf & Hard of Hearing Mothers
T. Luna Imhotep
Traditional Doula in Ghana
Dasha Tate
Doula with ROOTT
Kefilwe Sibenya
Traditional S. African Doula
Okunsola M. Amadou
Jamaa Birth Village-Host
Libre X Sankara
Afro Boricua Doula
"As we celebrate the inaugural Black Doula Day during the 7th Annual Black Maternal Health Week Campaign, the Black Mamas Matter Alliance proudly champions the vital role of doulas in supporting and uplifting all Black Mamas on their maternal health journey.
Doulas are essential advocates and companions, providing unwavering support and guidance to empower them through every step of their pregnancy and childbirth. Today, we honor and recognize the invaluable contributions of doulas in ensuring the well-being and dignity of Black women and birthing people everywhere."
- Angela Doyinsola Aina, MPH, Co-Founder & Executive Director
