1st Annual Centering Joy in the Black Birthing Experience Mixer
Chill with us at the Centering Joy mixer, celebrating Black birthing experiences and real talks!
Join us for the 1st Annual Centering Joy in the Black Birthing Experience Stakeholders Mixer, an evening dedicated to connection, collaboration, and celebration within the Black maternal and birthing community.
This cocktail-style mixer will bring together birth workers, healthcare professionals, community leaders, advocates, and partners who are committed to improving Black maternal and infant health outcomes while centering joy, culture, and community.
Expect meaningful networking, engaging conversation, light refreshments, and an elevated atmosphere designed to foster authentic relationship-building across sectors.
This event serves as a space to:
- Connect with key stakeholders in Black maternal health
- Strengthen partnerships across healthcare and community-based organizations
- Celebrate culture, innovation, and joy in Black birthing experiences
- Learn more about upcoming initiatives and collaborations
- Guests will enjoy light appetizers and dessert throughout the evening. A soft bar is included with each ticket, offering beer, wine, and soda.
Chill with us at the Centering Joy mixer, celebrating Black birthing experiences and real talks!
Join us for the 1st Annual Centering Joy in the Black Birthing Experience Stakeholders Mixer, an evening dedicated to connection, collaboration, and celebration within the Black maternal and birthing community.
This cocktail-style mixer will bring together birth workers, healthcare professionals, community leaders, advocates, and partners who are committed to improving Black maternal and infant health outcomes while centering joy, culture, and community.
Expect meaningful networking, engaging conversation, light refreshments, and an elevated atmosphere designed to foster authentic relationship-building across sectors.
This event serves as a space to:
- Connect with key stakeholders in Black maternal health
- Strengthen partnerships across healthcare and community-based organizations
- Celebrate culture, innovation, and joy in Black birthing experiences
- Learn more about upcoming initiatives and collaborations
- Guests will enjoy light appetizers and dessert throughout the evening. A soft bar is included with each ticket, offering beer, wine, and soda.
Lineup
Lucinda Canty
Shafia Monroe, MPH
Joshua Showtime Williams
Good to know
Highlights
- 4 hours
- ages 18+
- In person
- Doors at 4:30 PM
Refund Policy
Location
2801 Locust St suite 101
2801 Locust Street
#suite 101 St. Louis, MO 63103
How do you want to get there?
Agenda
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Centering Joy in Black Birthing Experience Pre-Conference Mixer
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Midwife-to-Midwife Conversation: Centering Joy, Spirituality, and Postpartum H
Featuring Dr. Lucinda Canty & Mama Shafia Monroe April 10, 2026 | 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM This intimate midwife-to-midwife conversation will explore the lived experiences and lifelong wisdom of Mama Shafia Monroe, a pioneering force in Black maternal health. Guided by Dr. Lucinda Canty, the discussion will reflect on what is often missing in modern maternity care—particularly spirituality, joy, and holistic healing. Together, they will examine how joy can be intentionally woven into pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period, with special attention to Mama Shafia’s groundbreaking work in postpartum healing and community-centered care. The conversation will also uplift insights from Mama Shafia’s book, inviting participants to reconnect with ancestral knowledge, sacred practices, and restorative pathways that support Black families beyond birth. This session is an invitation to pause, reflect, and reimagine Black birthing experiences through a lens of joy, spirit, and healing.
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Doors Open, Live Music From Joshua "Showtime" Williams
Live band as guest arrive. Photo booth, Open Soft Bar, Appetizers, Galley Walk