"Centering Cultural Care & Communal Wisdom for Black Maternal Health Liberation"
Missouri's 3rd Annual Black Maternal Health Summit Returns for Two Transformative Days, Featuring national dynamic keynote speakers, a Black Maternal Health Pep Rally, live music & communal dinner, complete with a powerful tour of the Black Midwifery Museum in Ferguson, Missouri.
The Missouri Community Doula Council and Jamaa Birth Village are honored to announce the 3rd Annual Missouri Black Maternal Health Summit, April 16-17, 2026, in St. Louis, Mo at Rustic Roots Sanctuary.
This two-day summit will convene midwives, doulas, parents, healers, maternal health practitioners, community birth workers, policymakers, and advocates to forward Black maternal health justice, policy transformation, and sustainable community care. The summit includes dynamic keynote speakers, interactive workshops, all inclusive field trip tours and advocacy actions dedicated to providing long-term sustainable solutions to birth inequities, elevating Black maternal health workers, and reclaiming rest, power and wisdom as an act of revolutionary liberation.
"It takes all of us to transform Black Maternal Health. Join US!"
2026 Summit Info:
The 3rd Annual MO Black Maternal Health Summit kicks off April 16th-17th, with three dynamic national award winning keynotes and guest speakers!
Attendees will engage in 2-days of transformative keynotes, panels and breakout sessions on cultural birth traditions, healing modalities for families, birth workers and community leaders, policy advocacy & legislative change, and much more!
Summit Day one welcomes guests with lively drummers, our Opening Keynote, panel discussions, tours of our Summit site and the Black Midwife Museum. Day 1 concludes with a national award winning poet, Dinner & live music, celebrating the power and joy of Black birth workers, providers, community leaders and families.
Summit Day two opens with a St. Louis Native Artist & Spoken word poet, a powerful keynote, breakout sessions, a Fire Side Chat with a national mother and activist, a powerful closing keynote ceremony, followed by a rest and healing experience for providers, birth workers and parents, aligning with this year's theme.
Summit guests will receive a Curated Black Maternal Health Rest Box-created by MCDC and The Historic Jamaa Birth Village Cultural Heritage Center.
2026 Site & Tour Info:
Host Site: Rustic Roots Sanctuary Farm
Founded in the heart of Spanish Lake, RusticRoots Sanctuary Farm, is a living, breathing ecosystem of healing, nourishment, and liberation. It stands as a sacred intersection where land stewardship, community care, and ancestral wisdom meet.
At its core, Rustic Roots Sanctuary is a Black, woman founded, sustainable farm and holistic wellness space dedicated to creating food equity, spiritual connection, and community resilience. Through regenerative agriculture, donation-based programming, and wellness experiences, the sanctuary works to ensure that communities—especially Black and Brown communities—have access to fresh, locally grown food while also reclaiming their relationship to the land.
*While the Summit will take place at Rustic Roots Sanctuary, we will have indoor, and climate controlled spaces for comfort, ease and a beautiful experience for guests. In the event of challenging weather, the Summit will go on, and guests will be emailed with site updates. Learn more about Rustic Roots Sanctuary here.
Tours: The African Indigenous Midwifery Museum in Ferguson, MO. This Summit field trip is at no additional-cost, and requires attendance confirmation post-registration, as seats are limited. The field trip will cover transportation from the summit site and back, in climate controlled, Charter Buses. The field trip will include a historical tour of Ferguson, MO & tour of the Black Midwife Museum and Jamaa Birth Village.
Parking: Refer to Summit Guest email, which will be sent 1-week prior to the summit.
Lodging, Airport & Ground Transportation:
We're hosting this years summit in the birth place of the Missouri Black Midwifery & Maternal Health Movement- St. Louis!
Lodging: Accommodations are available at the the 21C Museum Hotel St. Louis, 13-miles from the summit site. Visit this link for special summit rates: Book your Lodging.
When booking, if no more rooms are available, email summit hosts at: info@jamaabirthvillage.org.
We welcome Summit guests to also book lodging at any near by hotel or Air B N B accomoddation that fits their needs and comfort level.
Flights: Attendees may fly into St. Louis Lambert International Airport (STL), 12 miles from the summit site.
Ground Transportation: Utilize the following ground transportation options-
- Rideshare- Uber or Lyft
- Airport Taxi- Taxi's are available on-site at the airport
- Airport Transportation -Arrival and departure service to and from airport with transit to hotel
- Airport Hotel Transportation: Many hotels near the airport have shuttles to accommodate guests
- Rental Car: Enterprise, National, Alamo and Budget rental car services each have shuttles that frequent the Lambert Airport, taking guests directly to the rental car center upon arrival, and back to the airport upon departure
MEET OUR 2026 KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
DAY 1: OPENING KEYNOTE SPEAKER
QUEEN AFUA
QUEEN AFUA'S LEGACY
Queen Afua is a New York Times bestselling author, holistic health and wellness practitioner, and entrepreneur, affectionately known as the “Mother of Womb Wellness” for over 40 years. As a world-renowned leader and CEO of the Queen Afua Wellness Institute (QAWI), she has successfully empowered hundreds of thousands women, men, and children with her workshops, products, books, and teachings. These are founded on the principles of utilizing food, self-care, and holistic choices as a global movement towards a healthier lifestyle.
Queen Afua is a trailblazer dedicated to fighting the overwhelmingly high rates of
hysterectomies, fibroids, hypertension, and other diseases plaguing Black women. Her
mission, which she has passionately spearheaded since the early 1970s, was recognized by the New York City Health Department in 1987 for her extraordinary holistic, reproductive health services to women. On June 27, 2007, she was honored with the annual “Queen Afua Day” by Marty Markowitz, the then-President of Brooklyn.
In the early 1980s, Queen Afua developed the practice of Womb Yoga, a cornerstone of her holistic health approach.
As an award-winning innovator, Queen Afua has achieved numerous firsts in holistic
rejuvenation and womb wellness methodologies for Black women, spanning the United States, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, and Africa.
Concurrently, her works have received countless accolades and recognition from The
Breakfast Club, Vogue, Essence, Red Table Talk, and other esteemed publications.
Queen Afua has lectured globally and served as an expert consultant to numerous institutions, including Long Island University Medical Center, NASA, NYC Downstate Medical Center, and the Omega Institute. Her international bestseller, Sacred Woman, has been referenced by Vogue editors, America’s Next Top Model, and Bravo TV’s Real Housewives of Atlanta star, Eva Marcille. A trusted advisor and spiritual mentor to celebrities such as Erykah Badu, Lauren London, Common, Iyanla Vanzant, India Arie, and many others, Queen Afua has propelled her teachings to insurmountable heights.
George "Conscious" Lee Jr.
THE CONSCIOUS LEE'S LEGACY
Lee is “purposefully provocative” as a tool to elevate and educate around pertinent topics through speaking engagements, lectures, and online courses. He’s developed a brand that translates an understanding of oppression, history, and philosophy to the world.
Born in Bryan, Texas to teenage parents, Lee overcame childhood adversity to attend the University of Oklahoma where he received a Bachelor’s and two Master’s degrees while becoming one of the top policy college debaters in the country. He was a member of the first African-American duo to become number one in the National Debate Tournament, where they were touted for their introduction of hip hop to sustain sophisticated arguments.
A dedicated husband and father, Lee’s professional journey in education includes roles as a former professor, high school English teacher, and Director of Debate where he won a national championship in 2019 with the University of Oklahoma. Lee now commands an engaged audience of over 5M across social media. His work was recognized as a 2022 recipient of YouTube’s Content Creator Choice award. That same year Conscious Lee was nominated for his first NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Social Media Personality and selected into the second creator class of YouTube’s Black Voices Fund. He’s been named a WayMaker Top 50 "Scholars of Change" and honored as an International Webby Award nominee for his influential podcasting.
His videos and commentary have been featured in Forbes, Essence, The Washington Post, Yahoo Life, The Atlantic, Business Insider, and The New York Times. He has partnered with organizations including BET, YouTube, the University of Kentucky, and many more.
MEET OUR 2026 SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER
BRITTANY PACKNETT-CUNNINGHAM
"PURSUING JUSTICE WITH LOVE & POWER."
A force at the intersection of culture, justice, and policy, Brittany Packnett Cunningham drives transformation as the Founder and Principal of Love & Power Works, a social impact agency catalyzing change across industries and communities.
She currently serves as Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer of Children’s Defense Fund, and as Host and Executive Producer of the acclaimed UNDISTRACTED podcast. Her TED Talk, "The Revolution of Confidence," has captivated nearly 8 million viewers worldwide and ranks among 2019's top ten most influential talks. Her voice resonates through the pages of New York Magazine, The Washington Post, and Cosmopolitan, with her debut book, "We Are Like Those Who Dream: Black Women's Blueprint for a New Power," forthcoming from One World/Random House. Brittany has contributed vital perspectives to audiences across the globe, including at the famed Oxford Union, documentaries like Netflix’s Amend, and television shows like HBO’s Pod Save America.
Brittany's expertise has shaped policy at the highest levels—serving as an advisor to Harris For President, on President Obama's 21st Century Policing Task Force, Missouri's Ferguson Commission, and as co-founder of Campaign Zero. Her leadership extends through prestigious fellowships at Harvard's Institute of Politics and over a decade of executive impact roles at BET Media Group and Teach For America.
Her strategic collaborations with Gucci, Sephora, Olay, and Warner Brothers have channeled resources to grassroots causes while amplifying justice initiatives. She's been recognized by Time Magazine as a face of Black Leadership, featured on the covers of British Vogue and Essence, and honored by organizations ranging from Politico to the National Urban League. A dedicated mentor to young change agents, Brittany serves on multiple boards including the Sephora Equity Advisors board and the Gucci Changemakers Council. She resides in Washington, DC with her husband Reginald and their sons.
As she powerfully declares: "Let's go get free."
MEET OUR 2026 SPECIAL GUEST POETS
DAY 1: SUMMIT SPOKEN WORD ARTIST & DINNER GUEST
SUNNI PATTERSON
POET, HEALER, TEACHER
New Orleans Native and Visionary, Sunni Patterson, is an internationally acclaimed Poet, Workshop Facilitator/Professor, Certified Spiritual Life Coach/Consultant, Interfaith Minister, and an Initiated Priestess in the traditional West African spiritual system of Ifa.
She began her career as a high school teacher, and much of her life since has been devoted to serving as a Cultural Worker and Activist. Both a diligent student and guide, Sunni has had the privilege to learn from and work with knowledgeable scholars and healers across the globe.
Armed with an engaging story and voice, Sunni deliberately uses art and poetry to encourage dialogue, connectivity, spiritual awareness, and healing. Her Artistry and Gift has allowed her to grace a plethora of stages and platforms. Whether it's speaking at the United Nations or TEDWomen, featuring on Grammy award winning albums, officiating a ceremony, or even cooking breakfast for families in the Community, you can rest assured, Sunni’s way and words bring us all to a place of recollection, remembrance, expanded community, and hope.
Sunni is co-founder, along with Scientist and Atmospheric Chemist, Cherelle Blazer, of Breath is Lyfe- an Environmental Arts and Public Health Organization, merging art, science, and culture to address climate change and environmental injustice. They also produce the annual Algiers Ancestor Festival held in November. Sunni is also an instructor at both Loyola University and Xavier University.
DAY 2 : SUMMIT SPOKEN WORD ARTIST & OPENING CEREMONY
PACIA ELAINE-ST. LOUIS POET LAUREATE
MOTHER, POET, ACTIVIST
Ms. Anderson is the 4th Poet Laureate of St. Louis. She collaborates as a poet, visual and teaching artist, creative consultant, arts administrator, and community engagement coordinator, both locally and nationally. Pacia Elaine is deeply invested in working with the people in the place where she lives.
3rd Annual Missouri Black Maternal Health Summit & Advocacy Day: Preliminary Agenda
April 16, 2026 | 8:00am-7:00pm
A Day of Action & Advocacy for Black Maternal Health
SCHEDULE & ITINERARY AVAILABLE TO SUMMIT GUESTS VIA EMAIL
April 17, 2026 | 8:00am-4:00pm
The Black Maternal Health Cultural Care & Healing Restorative Experience
SCHEDULE & ITINERARY AVAILABLE TO SUMMIT GUESTS VIA EMAIL
2026 3RD ANNUAL MO BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH SUMMIT SPONSORS
