BLACK BIRTH SYMPOSIUM: IS OUR SYSTEM WORKING FOR BLACK MOTHERS AND BABIES?
Now in its fifth year, the Black Birth: Maternal & Infant Health Symposium returns as a transformative, two-day convening dedicated to advancing health equity and addressing disparities in Black maternal and infant health.
Day One: 2026 Black Maternal & Infant Health Symposium
Friday, May 8 | Two-Day Symposium | Baird Center, North Building, Milwaukee, WI
Co-presented by GE HealthCare and the City of Milwaukee Health Department, the Symposium brings together community members, researchers, healthcare providers, policymakers, and advocates at a pivotal moment for equity-focused health initiatives.
With Black women facing pregnancy-related mortality rates three to four times higher than white women, and Black infant mortality in Milwaukee nearly three times higher, the urgency for coordinated action is clear. The Black Birth Symposium serves as a platform for advocacy, education, and systemic change, amplifying innovative solutions and strengthening pathways to healthier outcomes for Black families in Milwaukee and beyond.
Through the leadership and support of presenting, leading, and sustaining partners, the Symposium continues to drive community-centered solutions and collective impact—igniting change and shaping a healthier future for Black mothers and babies.
Day Two: Community Day
Saturday, May 9 | 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. | ThriveOn King, 2153 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
Join us for a community-centered day of conversation, care, and connection. Day 2 of the Black Birth Symposium brings together mothers, fathers, families, doulas, and community members for workshops, wellness offerings, and conversations designed to support Black maternal and infant health in Milwaukee.
Day 2 is designed to feel accessible, welcoming, and rooted in community. Throughout the day, attendees can take part in open conversations, interactive workshops, wellness offerings, and resource sharing focused on self-care, fatherhood, co-parenting, mental health, and Milwaukee’s birth ecosystem.
Some Day 2 sessions have limited capacity and require advance registration. If you see a session marked Registration Required, be sure to reserve your spot early.
Drop-In Wellness + Community Resource Fair
10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Community Hub
Connect with community organizations, partners, and attendees throughout the day while taking part in pop-up wellness activities and accessing community resources.
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Featured organizations include: Milwaukee Diaper Mission · City of Milwaukee Health Department · Milwaukee County Department of Health & Human Services | Children, Youth, and more.
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Mental Health Support: Wellpoint Care Network Easy Access Clinic
Take the first step toward better mental health with a free assessment and no waitlist. Whether you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, anxious, stuck, or simply not like yourself, this is an opportunity to check in with a professional in a safe, supportive space.
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Blood Donation + Blood Pressure assessment
Participate in a blood donation and blood pressure check opportunity available through the Versiti Drop-In Clinic located inside ThriveOn King.
Health, Healing & Brotherhood: Men’s Wellness Roundtable
Facilitated by Kwabena Nixon | 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Neighborhood Hall
Join Kwabena Nixon for an open and grounded conversation about the health topics men are too often expected to carry in silence. Centered on Black men’s wellness, this session creates space to talk honestly about mental and emotional health, stress, aging, illness, prevention, and the everyday pressures of showing up for others. More than a conversation, it is an opportunity for reflection, connection, and practical encouragement rooted in brotherhood and care.
Registration Required. Please use the Day Two registration link to reserve your spot.
Asset Mapping: Building From What We Already Have
Facilitated by Josh Liston-Zawadi 10:30 a.m. – Noon | Community Room A
This interactive workshop invites participants to move away from deficit-based thinking and instead focus on the strengths, relationships, and resources already present within Milwaukee’s birth ecosystem.
Guided by Josh Liston-Zawadi, attendees will identify community assets including birth workers, support networks, cultural knowledge, and local organizations, while exploring how those assets can be better connected and sustained. The session is designed to help participants leave with a clearer sense of what already exists and how collective care can be strengthened from within.
Registration Required. Please use the Day Two registration link to reserve your spot.
Who Saves Superman?
Facilitated by Terron Edwards, Tyler LeRoy, and Demetris Simmons 10:30 a.m. – Noon | Community Room B
Fathers are often expected to be steady, strong, and selfless, while their own needs for care and support go unspoken. This session centers the emotional, physical, and relational well-being of fathers as a vital part of maternal and family health. Through honest conversation and shared reflection, participants will explore vulnerability, responsibility, support systems, and what it means for men to be cared for, not just counted on.
Registration Required. Please use the Day Two registration link to reserve your spot.
Held & Heard: A Space for Black Maternal Grief and Healing After Difficult Birth Experience
Facilitated by Dr. Lia Knox | 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Community Room C
This facilitated gathering offers a protected and compassionate space for Black mothers navigating grief, loss, or the emotional aftermath of difficult or traumatic birth experiences. Centering experiences that are too often carried quietly, the session invites reflection, acknowledgment, and connection without pressure or expectation. Through gentle facilitation and shared presence, participants are offered room to process what they have endured and to be met with care.
Registration Required. Please use the Day Two registration link to reserve your spot.
Becoming Whole: Self-Identity, Motherhood & the Courage to Care for Yourself
A Conversation with Shelah Marie | 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Neighborhood Hall
In this deeply personal and empowering conversation, Shelah Marie reflects on identity, motherhood, self-worth, and the courage it takes to care for yourself while navigating change, responsibility, and emotional complexity. Drawing from her own journey, she speaks to the quiet shifts many women experience as they move through partnership, caregiving, disappointment, and self-discovery. This conversation invites women to reconnect with who they are beyond expectation and to see self-care not as indulgence, but as a necessary act of wholeness.
No pre-registration required. This conversation is first-come, first-served. Please note that Day Two registration is separate from Day One.
Doula Field Trip: Exploring Milwaukee’s Birth Ecosystem
Facilitated by Josh Liston-Zawadi | 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. | Off-site activity — Meet in Community Room A
This immersive breakout experience invites participants to step beyond the conference setting and engage directly with the people and places shaping birth care in Milwaukee. In small groups, attendees will visit community-based birth spaces, meet local leaders, and deepen their understanding of the systems, relationships, and resources that support Black families across the city. The experience is designed to make Milwaukee’s birth ecosystem more visible, tangible, and connected.
Registration Required. Please use the Day Two registration link to reserve your spot.
Better Together: Co-Parenting Evolved
Featuring Terron Edwards, Carnell Hogans, and Eric Kleppe-Montenegro | 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. | Community Room B
Healthy co-parenting relationships can shape the long-term well-being of children, parents, and families alike. Drawing from the Better Together Co-Parenting Pilot and accompanying docufilm, this conversation explores communication, accountability, healing, and the work of building healthier family relationships across households and circumstances. Grounded in lived experience and practical insight, the session offers a thoughtful look at what it takes to parent with intention, respect, and shared responsibility.
Registration Required. Please use the Day Two registration link to reserve your spot.
Nourish From the Root: Plant-Based Living for Families & New Beginning
Zakiyah Courtney brings a rich blend of experience as an educator, vegan chef, gardener, herbal apprentice, doula, and education consultant to this conversation on nourishment and whole-family wellness. This session introduces plant-based living as an accessible, culturally grounded pathway to stronger health before and after birth, with practical insight for individuals and families looking to make thoughtful changes. Attendees will leave with inspiration and usable ideas for building healthier habits, supporting postpartum recovery, and approaching food as a tool for care.
Registration Required. Please use the Day Two registration link to reserve your spot.
Accountability Partners: Couples and Family Health & Wellness Strategies
Sean and Shanice Hemphill lead a practical, supportive session on how couples and family members can help one another build healthier routines and stay committed to long-term wellness. Blending strength-building strategies, breathwork, mindfulness, and nervous system support, this workshop is designed to help participants create simple, realistic plans they can carry into daily life. The emphasis is on consistency, mutual encouragement, and building sustainable habits together rather than trying to do it alone.
Registration Required. Please use the Day Two registration link to reserve your spot.
Black Birth Sponsors
We are excited to welcome the following partners to the Black Birth Symposium:
Presented in partnership with:
Leading partners:
Supporting:
Contributing partners:
