"Centering Cultural Care & Communal Wisdom for Black Maternal Health Liberation"
Missouri's 3rd Annual Black Maternal Health Summit returns for two transformative days. Featuring national dynamic keynote speakers, field trips to the State Capitol for a Black Maternal Health Pep Rally, live music & communal dinner, complete with a powerful tour of the Black Midwifery Museum in Ferguson, Missouri.
Queen Afua
DAY 1: Opening Keynote & Dinner Guest
Queen Afua has over 50 years experience as a holistic health practitioner and wellness coach. A pioneer in the green foods movement, Queen Afua is the author of 7 best selling books, the creator of the Heal Thyself product line Founder of Sacred Woman Rites of Passage Program, CEO & Director of the Queen Afua Wellness Institute.
Queen Afua has more than forty years of experience as a holistic health practitioner and wellness coach. Her teachings are based on the principles of ancient African traditions, and she has blended this with contemporary natural health and beauty techniques to create a unique approach to holistic wellness. Her programs aim to educate people about the healing power of food, self-care, and holistic health practices, and she has helped countless individuals to live healthier and more fulfilling lives.
She has devoted her life to holistically empower both women and men to heal thyself in utilizing the power of food as medicine and healthcare as self-care, is a holistic lifestyle method for health and longevity.
Queen Afua has holistically inspired over 1,000,000 women, men and children throughout the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Africa, and Europe with her workshops, books, products, and presentations. > Read her full bio.
George "Conscious" Lee
DAY 2: Closing Keynote speaker
George “Conscious” Lee Jr is a multifaceted thought leader, influencer, author, and educator from Texas. His work sits at the intersection of media, socio-political issues, and popular culture. Lee is “purposefully provocative” as a tool to elevate and educate around pertinent topics through speaking engagements, lectures, and online courses. He’s developed a brand that translates an understanding of oppression, history, and philosophy to the world.
Born in Bryan, Texas to teenage parents, Lee overcame childhood adversity to attend the University of Oklahoma where he received a Bachelor’s and two Master’s degrees while becoming one of the top policy college debaters in the country. He was a member of the first African-American duo to become number one in the National Debate Tournament, where they were touted for their introduction of hip hop to sustain sophisticated arguments.
A dedicated husband and father, Lee’s professional journey in education includes roles as a former professor, high school English teacher, and Director of Debate where he won a national championship in 2019 with the University of Oklahoma. Lee now commands an engaged audience of over 5M across social media. His work was recognized as a 2022 recipient of YouTube’s Content Creator Choice award. That same year Conscious Lee was nominated for his first NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Social Media Personality and selected into the second creator class of YouTube’s Black Voices Fund. He’s been named a WayMaker Top 50 "Scholars of Change" and honored as an International Webby Award nominee for his influential podcasting.
His videos and commentary have been featured in Forbes, Essence, The Washington Post, Yahoo Life, The Atlantic, Business Insider, and The New York Times. He has partnered with organizations including BET, YouTube, the University of Kentucky, and many more.
Brittany Packnett-Cunningham
DAY 2: Fire Side Chat with Pioneering Black Women
A force at the intersection of culture, justice, and policy, Brittany Packnett Cunningham drives transformation as the Founder and Principal of Love & Power Works, a social impact agency catalyzing change across industries and communities.
She currently serves as Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer of Children’s Defense Fund, and as Host and Executive Producer of the acclaimed UNDISTRACTED podcast. Her TED Talk, "The Revolution of Confidence," has captivated nearly 8 million viewers worldwide and ranks among 2019's top ten most influential talks. Her voice resonates through the pages of New York Magazine, The Washington Post, and Cosmopolitan, with her debut book, "We Are Like Those Who Dream: Black Women's Blueprint for a New Power," forthcoming from One World/Random House. Brittany has contributed vital perspectives to audiences across the globe, including at the famed Oxford Union, documentaries like Netflix’s Amend, and television shows like HBO’s Pod Save America.
Brittany's expertise has shaped policy at the highest levels—serving as an advisor to Harris For President, on President Obama's 21st Century Policing Task Force, Missouri's Ferguson Commission, and as co-founder of Campaign Zero. Her leadership extends through prestigious fellowships at Harvard's Institute of Politics and over a decade of executive impact roles at BET Media Group and Teach For America.
Her strategic collaborations with Gucci, Sephora, Olay, and Warner Brothers have channeled resources to grassroots causes while amplifying justice initiatives. She's been recognized by Time Magazine as a face of Black Leadership, featured on the covers of British Vogue and Essence, and honored by organizations ranging from Politico to the National Urban League. A dedicated mentor to young change agents, Brittany serves on multiple boards including the Sephora Equity Advisors board and the Gucci Changemakers Council. She resides in Washington, DC with her husband Reginald and their sons.
As she powerfully declares: "Let's go get free."