Speak! Move! Change! for Black Maternal Health Week 2024 “An Ancestral Hearing for Truth & Reconciliation”

Join us for Speak! Move! Change virtual series in honor of Black Maternal Health Week. This transformative two-day event, taking place on Monday, April 15th and Tuesday, April 16th, 2024, from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm EST, aims to address the urgent need for transformation in the reproductive healthcare system for black women, birthing people, their families, and communities.

Led by a collective of stakeholders from across the nation and abroad, Speak! Move! Change utilizes art, ritual, information, education, and collective discourse to speak truth, move systems, and change outcomes. In this year's event, we will present a virtual dramatization of a "community hearing" focused on addressing the inhumane treatment endured by enslaved black women during the antebellum period, particularly at the hands of J Marion Sims and his colleagues.

Facilitated using an indigenous-centered practice called Mbongi, originating from the Bakongo Bantu people of Africa, our gathering embodies the essence of community, collaboration, interconnectedness, and shared learning. All are welcome to participate without barriers or separation.

Through creative storytelling and ancestral authority, the collective will bring together the voices of the past, present, and future for the purpose of truth, reconciliation, and retribution. We honor "The Mothers of Gynecology", Betsey, Anarcha & Lucy, and all the women and girls who endured medical procedures, experimentation, sexual assault, and obstetrical violence.

Guided by the principles of Mbongi and Afrofuturism, we will create a bold space for transparency and powerful storytelling. Our goal is to restore dignity and agency to those who have been silenced by history and false narratives perpetuated by White Supremacy.

Don't miss this opportunity to join us in advocating for Black maternal health and reshaping the narrative for generations to come. Let's Speak! Move! Change together.