2024: 1st Black Maternal Health Summit

March 11, 2024 / Okunsola M. Amadou

Jamaa Birth Village means family in the African language of Swahili. Come and go with me, on the humble beginnings and birthing of a village.

2024

March 2024 marked the successful completion of the STL 360 Doula Initiative by training a total of 363 doulas, receiving St. Louis the prestigious designation as a Safer Childbirth City.

In April 2024, Jamaa Birth Village in partnership with the Missouri Community Doula Council hosted Missouri’s 1st Black Maternal Health Summit themed “Collaborative Approaches to Advance Joyful, Postive and Healthy Birthing Experiences for Black Mamas in Missouri.” With national guest Keynote speakers Jennie Joseph and Jamarah Amani, and guest speakers UmmSalammah Sondra Abdullah and Corrinaa Edwards-the summit proved to be a success with families, community birth workers and providers attending from across the state and nation.

On October 1, 2024, Jamaa Birth Village celebrated the victory of the Missouri Doula Medicaid Reimbursement initiative which they co-led since 2016 with sister organization Uzazi Village.

October 2024 marked the completion of 9-years of leading historic, pioneering and trailblazing Black Midwifery care across the State of Missouri. In celebration of going into our 10th year of service-Jamaa Birth Village collaborated with the Missouri History Museum for the inaugural “History of Black Midwifery” event, chronicling the story of African Midwives from the continent, across the Atlantic shores, and into Missouri. This event was attended by city officials, community birth workers and midwives, and community members alike. The event held a panel discussion from esteemed community midwives Okunsola M. Amadou, Corrinna Edwards, Rachel Williston, led by Reproductive Justice Doula Sandra Thornhill.

During the event, Jamaa Birth Village recevied a proclamation from the St. Louis County Council for its tremendous work, with Okunsola M. Amadou receiving the Community Hero Award from the City of Ferguson, MO.

In December of 2024, Jamaa Birth Village led a holiday themed Community Baby Shower and Mother Blessing Ceremony at the village, provding free car seats, clothes, diapers and more to over 40-families.

Posted in

Okunsola M. Amadou

Okunsola M. Amadou, a Fulani-American Midwife, is the Founder and President of Jamaa Birth Village.

Brittany L. Conteh, professionally known as Priestess Okunsola M. Amadou, Folk Midwife™ and Birth Priestess™, is a pioneering midwife, educator, and preservationist dedicated to redefining the legacy of African Indigenous Midwifery and ensuring its rightful place in the cultural and historical record.

After leading the Jamaa Birth Village organization and midwifery clinic for over a decade and practicing as a Certified Professional Midwife, Okunsola is now transitioning from clinical practice to full-time cultural preservation, focusing on the documentation, protection, and advancement of her patent pending midwife designation paths of Folk Midwifery™ and Birth Priestess™ traditions-globally.

As the Founder & President of Jamaa Birth Village, Okunsola led groundbreaking efforts to transform Black Maternal Health in Missouri and beyond. Her achievements include:

Opening Missouri’s first Black-led midwifery clinic on Juneteenth 2020, after training with traditional midwives and fetish priestesses in Ghana (2013).

Becoming the First Black Certified Professional Midwife & First Black Registered CPM Preceptor in Missouri.

Certifying over 460 Black doulas, significantly closing the Black doula disparity gap in St. Louis and the State of Missouri.

Earning 24 awards for her contributions to Black Maternal Health.

Consulting hospitals, policymakers, and international organizations on equitable maternal care policies.

Receiving ten state/local proclamations, seven resolutions-including a Congressional Resolution for her work in birth justice.

As a Museum Studies scholar, Okunsola graduated from the University of Iowa Museum Studies Program May 2025, after completing an internship at the Missouri Historical Society where she launched a Missouri Midwife archive and pop-up exhibit.

Her leadership has not only expanded access to midwifery and doula services, but also challenged systemic inequities in maternal care, ensuring culturally centered and community-driven solutions.

Leave a Comment