Doula Lab Presents
C.J.B.B.E. Conference
Centering Joy in the Black Birthing Experience
Four 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.
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).
Year Four
C.J.B.B.E. Conference 2027
A four-day bi-state summit built for impact
Year 4 • April 15–18, 2027 • Southern Illinois + St. Louis Metro
Centering Joy in the Black Birthing Experience (CJBBE) is Doula Lab's flagship annual gathering, created to address Black maternal health disparities through community care, provider education, and cross-sector partnership. CJBBE exists to close the gap through direct community programming — not just awareness.
Now entering its fourth year, CJBBE 2027 carries the theme "It's a Different World — H.B.C.U. (Honoring Birth Community United): A Homecoming for the Birth Community." This year's summit bridges the legacy of HBCUs with the birth equity movement — celebrating culture, community, and the power of collective care.
Dates
April 15–18, 2027
Location
Southern IL + St. Louis Metro
Admission
Registration Opening Soon
2027 Sponsorship Opportunities
Our Mission
Centering Joy in the Black Birthing Experience Conference
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.
Join the CJBBE 2027 Sponsor Class
Interested in Sponsoring CJBBE 2027?
Partner With Us. Invest in Better Birth Outcomes.
The Doula Lab invites businesses, health systems, foundations, community organizations, educational institutions, and mission-aligned partners to join us for the 4th Annual CJBBE Bi-State Summit, April 15–18, 2027. This year's theme, "It's a Different World — H.B.C.U.: Honoring Birth Community United," brings the homecoming experience to the birth equity movement.
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 Video
Conference Gallery
Conference photos coming soon — check back after the event.
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 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 Video
Conference Gallery
Conference photos coming soon — check back after the event.
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, 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 Gallery
Conference photos coming soon — check back after the event.
"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."