Doula Lab Presents
C.J.B.B.E. Conference
Centering Joy in the Black Birthing Experience
Three years of celebrating joy, culture, and shared experiences — highlighting Black Maternal Health issues in the Midwest with emphasis on Southern IL and the St. Louis Metropolitan Area.
Our Mission
Centering Joy in the Black Birthing Experience Conference
This page is dedicated to showcasing our conference over the past 3 years. This conference has been pivotal in highlighting Black Maternal Health issues in the Midwest with emphasis on Southern IL (St. Louis Metropolitan Area).
The Centering Joy in the Black Birthing Experience Conference was created to hold space for celebration, empowerment, education, and community-building. Our mission is to confront disparities not only through policy and data — but through joy, culture, and shared experiences that uplift and support Black families.
We bring together organizations, businesses, and leaders who share a commitment to improving birthing outcomes and strengthening community connections.
Charity S. Bean
Founder, Doula Lab
Founder's Note
Why I Founded the Centering Joy in the Black Birthing Experience Conference
I founded this conference because I recognized a critical gap in how Black birthing experiences are discussed, supported, and honored. Much of the national conversation focuses, rightfully, on disparities, outcomes, and trauma. However, I felt it was equally important to intentionally create space for joy, dignity, healing, and celebration within Black birth and parenting journeys.
I wanted a gathering that not only addressed challenges, but also uplifted the strength, wisdom, and resilience that exist in our communities. As an advocate and leader working closely with families, birth workers, and healthcare professionals, I saw the need for a space where community voices are centered, trusted experts are accessible, and authentic connections can be built across disciplines.
This conference was created to bridge gaps — between providers and families, between policy and practice, and between survival and joy. At its core, this conference is about community care. It is designed to be free and accessible because everyone deserves support and information regardless of income or status.
Centering joy is not avoidance — it is resistance, healing, and vision. This conference exists to remind us that Black families deserve not only safe births, but joyful ones — and that community collaboration is essential to making that vision real.
Year One
The Beginning of a Bold Vision
The inaugural Centering Joy in the Black Birthing Experience Conference marked the beginning of a bold and necessary vision — to intentionally center joy, dignity, and cultural wisdom in Black birthing spaces. Hosted at the Barnes‑Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing, Year One created a trusted environment where families, birth workers, advocates, and healthcare professionals could come together beyond crisis‑focused narratives.
This first gathering laid the groundwork for community collaboration, honest dialogue, and healing‑centered education rooted in lived experience.
Theme
Joy, dignity, healing, and celebration
Location
Barnes‑Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing, St. Louis, MO
Highlights
- Trust‑building conversations on Black maternal health
- Community‑led panels and shared storytelling
- Formation of early partnerships that continue today
Conference Flyer & Recap
Watch the Year One conference recap
Conference Gallery
Year Two
Black Love Is the Key
Year Two built on the foundation of the inaugural conference by intentionally centering Black Love — love of self, love within families, love of community, and love as a driving force for advocacy, healing, and systems change. Held during Black Maternal Health Week, the second annual conference attracted 279 attendees and featured 26 speakers across 25 sessions and 5 content tracks.
Participants represented 144 organizations across healthcare, public health, advocacy, and community‑based services. A standout session, "Black Love Is the Key," reinforced the theme by exploring how trust, compassion, and culturally rooted care improve outcomes for Black birthing families.
Theme
Black Love Is the Key
Location
Barnes‑Jewish College Goldfarb School of Nursing, St. Louis, MO
Date
April 11, 2025
Attendance
279 attendees
By the Numbers
279
Attendees
26
Speakers
25
Sessions
144
Organizations
Conference Flyer & Recap
Watch the Year Two conference recap
Conference Gallery
Year Three
"Ain't I A Woman" — Elevation, Truth, and Collective Power
The third year marked a powerful moment of reflection, truth‑telling, and forward‑movement. Inspired by Sojourner Truth's historic 1851 speech, "Ain't I A Woman," this year's theme examined the lived realities of Black women and birthing people while reimagining a future rooted in equity, dignity, and joy.
As the only conference of its kind in the region, Year Three brought together voices from across Illinois, Missouri, and beyond to learn, heal, and build lasting relationships. The conference expanded its impact with the addition of a Stakeholder Cocktail Party, creating intentional space for collaboration among providers, policymakers, advocates, and community leaders.
This year centered not only the persistent disparities impacting Black maternal and infant health, but also the resilience, collective power, and joy that continue to fuel community‑driven solutions.
Theme
Ain't I A Woman
Date
April 11, 2026
Location
SIUE Health Sciences Building, Edwardsville, IL
Attendance
200+ community members, healthcare professionals, advocates, and leaders
Featured Speakers
- Shafia Monroe — Global Leader in Midwifery and Black Maternal Health Advocacy
- Dr. Lucinda Canty — Nurse‑Midwife, Researcher, and Health Equity Scholar
- Kay Matthews — Founder of Shades of Blue — Keynote Speaker
Conference Flyers
Conference Gallery
Pre-Conference Mixer Recap
Watch the Year Three pre-conference mixer recap
About the Mixer
The Year Three Pre-Conference Mixer brought together birth workers, advocates, and community members the evening before the main conference — setting the tone for three days of joy, truth, and collective power centered on the "Ain't I A Woman" theme.
Conference Recap
Watch the Year Three conference recap
About the Conference
The 3rd Annual C.J.B.B.E. Conference — "Ain't I A Woman" — brought together 200+ attendees across three powerful days of elevation, truth, and collective power. Featuring keynote speaker Kay Matthews-Williams and a full lineup of birth justice advocates, Year Three affirmed that this movement is only growing stronger.
"Year Three affirmed that this conference is more than an event — it is a movement. A space where Black women and birthing people are seen, heard, and celebrated, and where joy and justice exist side by side."
Thank You to Our Conference Sponsors & Funders
The C.J.B.B.E. Conference is free and accessible to all because of the generous support of our sponsors and grant funders. We are deeply grateful for their commitment to Black maternal health and birth equity.
Grant Funders
Maternal & Child Health — Birth Equity Initiative
Community Health Grant — Doula Lab Program Support
Corporate & Organizational Sponsors
Health Insurance & Managed Care
Community Health Network
Academic & Research Partner
Perinatal Quality Improvement
Year Four · C.J.B.B.E. Summit
Centering Joy in the Black Birthing Experience
"It's a Different World"
In honor of HBCUs — Honoring Birth Community United
Thursday
April 15
2027
Friday
April 16
2027
Saturday
April 17
2027
Partner with Us for Year Four
Sponsorship opportunities are now open. Help us keep this summit free and accessible for every Black birthing family, birth worker, and advocate in our community.