Replacing Systems of Harm with
SYSTEMS OF CARE
The Black Midwifery Collective is a disruptive force in the reproductive health space. Our goal is to shift power to maintain health towards communities rather than state-run institutions.
Replacing Systems of Harm with
SYSTEMS OF CARE
The Black Midwifery Collective is a disruptive force in the reproductive health space. Our goal is to shift power to maintain health towards communities rather than state-run institutions.
OUR COLLECTIVE MISSION
Our mission is to improve health outcomes for Black birthing individuals, by actively addressing disparities in maternal and infant health that have disproportionately affected our community. We aim to revolutionize midwifery models of care, by increasing the racial diversity of Community Midwives to combat obstetric racism, and dismantle institutionalized birth practices.
Our Five Strategic Priorities
Build Collective Power
Mobilizing people and organizations in historically marginalized communities to drive systemic change.
Deinstitutionalize Childbirth
Facility-centered care is not patient-centered care
Establish Community Midwives
- Midwives in every neighborhood
- Accessible education
- Humane working conditions
- Sustainable reimbursement rates that reflect the preventative value of midwifery care
Dismantle Obstetric Racism
Obstetric racism is the intersection of obstetric
violence and medical racism
Transform Public Health Research
Data activism – Generation and analysis of data for and by the community
Star August
CPM, LM, ASM, CD
Executive Director & Founder, Black Midwifery Collective
Chair, Illinois Midwifery Board
Star August Ali—known affectionately as Sister Star—is a Black midwife, mother of four, systems-change strategist, and nationally recognized leader in birth justice. She is the Founder and Executive Director of the Black Midwifery Collective (BMC), a Black-led nonprofit based on Chicago’s South Side dedicated to transforming maternal health outcomes as hospital systems continue to fail Black mothers at alarming rates. Through her work, Star advances culturally congruent, community-rooted care while reviving ancestral Black midwifery traditions that have sustained families for generations.
A descendant of a Grand Midwife who practiced in the 1940s, Star’s path into midwifery was guided by courage, legacy, and conviction. She trained as a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) while practicing underground in Illinois for three years—at personal risk of felony charges—so Black families could access safe, culturally resonant, out-of-hospital maternity care. Today, she is one of only four Black Certified Professional Midwives currently licensed in the state of Illinois.
Recognizing that inequitable outcomes were rooted in broken systems—not individual choices—Star became a legislative advocate to confront obstetric racism and policy barriers head-on. She played a pivotal role in advancing multiple maternal health and systems-level bills through the Illinois General Assembly. Rising through leadership within the Illinois Council of Certified Professional Midwives (ICCPM), she became its first President of Color. Within six months of her presidency, Illinois achieved a historic victory with the passage of the Illinois Midwifery Practice Act of 2021, legalizing Certified Professional Midwives after more than 40 years of failed legislative attempts.
Under Star’s leadership, BMC has since reached another historic milestone: the creation of the first Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) degree program in Illinois, developed in partnership with Kennedy-King College. Approved by the Joint Curriculum Development
Council (JCDC) of the City Colleges of Chicago, the program is scheduled to enroll its first cohort in Fall 2026. This landmark systems-change initiative is designed as a national model and intends to be:
- The first midwifery school in the United States located within a predominantly Black community
- The first MEAC-accredited direct-entry midwifery program in Illinois
- The second CPM direct-entry program in the U.S. housed within a community college
- The only urban, public midwifery school in the nation offering access to financial aid
Star’s historical systems-change work provides a scalable roadmap for other states seeking to grow, diversify, and sustain the community midwifery workforce through affordable and accessible CPM education.
She is also a co-author of BMC’s Community Birth Study Report, which documents and uplifts Black birthing experiences across Illinois, and is featured in the award-winning documentary With Woman, recipient of a Grierson Award for its groundbreaking portrayal of birth justice and community midwifery.
Star has collaborated with advocate and actress Tatyana Ali to bring national visibility to this historic project and has worked alongside Reverend Jesse Jackson and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition to combat educational redlining in Chicago—efforts that were instrumental in realizing the CPM degree program.
As Chair of the inaugural Illinois Midwifery Board, Star continues to shape state policy, strengthen professional standards, and build a sustainable pipeline of community midwives. She has shared her expertise nationally at institutions including Bastyr University, Midwives College of Utah, Northwestern University, the University of Illinois Chicago, Southwest Technical College, Commonsense Childbirth School of Midwifery, and more. Her work has been featured in The Guardian, Crain’s Chicago Business, The Chicago Tribune, NPR, and other major media outlets.
Star’s work is grounded in a singular truth:
The solution is systems change.
For Conferences, Keynote, Podcasts, News Features, and more.
Chicago-Based Home Birth Midwife
Meet TEAM BMC
Hilary Schlinger
Director of Midwifery Programs
Hilary Schlinger has spent over four decades advocating for midwifery and community birth. She became a Licensed Midwife in New Mexico in 1982, and subsequently attended approximately 1000 home and birth center births. After becoming a CNM, she went on to provide full service reproductive healthcare for hundreds of people, both in private practice and via three Planned Parenthood agencies. Her birth activism includes a four year tenure on the Board of Directors of the Midwives Alliance of North America, participation in numerous state and national midwifery organizations, and serving as guest lecturer and workshop presenter in settings from medical schools to midwifery conferences. She is the author of Circle of Midwives: Organized Midwifery in North America (1992; 2012), and editor of four midwifery texts. Hilary was previously the Direct Entry Midwife program director Southwest Wisconsin Technical College, and is currently the Midwifery Program Director at the International Institute for Health Care Professionals, a private Black-owned healthcare college in South Florida. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University, an Associate of Science in Nursing from Regents College, an Associate in Midwifery from the National College of Midwifery, and a Masters in Midwifery from Philadelphia University.
Nora KROPP
Director of Research and Development
Nora Kropp is a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) and a maternal health researcher with a Master’s in Public Health and a Bachelor’s Degree in Global Studies. Ms. Kropp has worked in the fields of women’s reproductive health and global health for 30 years. Nora has worked as an apprentice midwife in Nepal and as a CPM in a home birth practice in the US. Nora got her midwifery training at Maternidad La Luz in El Paso, Texas and worked in family planning and abortion services at Planned Parenthood in Chicago, IL.
She has experience with all aspects of research and program implementation in maternal health. Her
areas of expertise are: ethics in public health research, evidence based practice, abortion, quality of care, respectful care and the Midwifery Model of Care. Nora has lived in and worked on maternal health research in the US, Mexico, Nepal and India. As a maternal health consultant for RTI International, Nora worked with the Global Network for Women and Children’s Health Research on projects in India, Tibet, Argentina and Uruguay. Nora lived in India for ten years during which time she co-founded the Bangalore Birth Network where she and her colleagues incubated a freestanding birth center. From 2009 – 2015 Nora served as a member of the Ethics Committee at the Indian Institute of Management, Centre for Public Policy in Bangalore. Nora has worked with the Holistic Birth Collective in Chicago, IL focusing on reproductive and birth justice. Nora currently lives in Wilmette, IL where she enjoys life with her partner and two teenage daughters.
Aesha Williams
Human Resource and Finance Director
Aesha Williams, MHRM, SHRM-CP is an energetic and trusted Human Resource Business Partner with over 25 years of progressive experience in the human resource and accounting professions. Aesha’s experience includes multi-state management of 20+ employees, union employees, strategic business development, federal and multi-state employment law, employee relations, talent strategy, leadership coaching, professional development, recruiting, creating standard operating procedures, people analytics, change management champion, and more.
Aesha is a strategic and innovative Human Resource leader with a strong belief that company culture is the cornerstone of success. It is essential to driving engagement, continued leadership accountability, fair and equitable business practices, and strategic business outcomes. Aesha has a strong track record of building relationships that are mutually respected, which has continued to afford her an opportunity to have a seat at the table to present, influence, partner and build strategies with C-Suite leaders. Aesha is very passionate about striving for results and transformational change within a progressive environment. She has a passion for leading others through ambiguity and change management while driving progress on foundational initiatives.
Aesha has held several leadership and development positions surrounding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion during her professional career such as: Work Study Co-op Mentoring Program, Women in Leadership Program Committee Co-Chair, IFL Tutor, Black Business Resource Council Chair of Professional Development and member of Black Business Resource Council Networking Committee at The Northern Trust Company as well as a member of Networking Engagement Committee at Coldwell Banker. Aesha is currently a member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Development Committee at Mosaic Consulting Group.
In addition to being dedicated a Human Resource professional, Aesha is a Realtor ® in Georgia and Arizona. Aesha has a passion for the spiritual, emotional, and physical health of adolescent/young adult women and single parents. Her primary goal is to ensure any young woman she encounters lives a healthy, happy, and whole lifestyle. Aesha’s desire is to challenge young women to remain secure in their Faith while navigating thru the ever-changing urban culture and negative images in our society. She is a self-taught chef, enjoys reading, running, dancing, singing, skating, traveling, spending time with her children, and as a three-time heart attack survivor she is a huge advocate for women’s heart health.
Laurentia Lewis
Tax Manager
With over a decade of experience in non-profits, accounting, and tax preparation, I help organizations remain in compliance with IRS requirements and establish best accounting practices to prevent revocation of nonprofit status. I am an accounting and tax professional with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting, MBA with a concentration in Human Resources and Enrolled Agent credential. I have twenty-five years of accounting experience in various industries including banking, brokerage, supply chain management and nonprofit. Seven years ago, I started my own accounting and tax prep practice, Navier Tax & Accounting LLC. We focus on tax returns for individuals, self-employed, S-corps, and tax-exempt organizations.
Kristen Mantell
Strategic Design Manager
Kristen Mantell is a designer, strategic thinker, visual storyteller, and advocate for community-based birth professionals. With a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communication and over 18 years of experience in graphic design, web development, and business, she has contributed to projects that bring important ideas to life by supporting small businesses, community initiatives, and mission-driven organizations.
Her introduction to birth advocacy was profoundly shaped by her own experience of motherhood, which opened her eyes to the maternity care crisis in the United States. This experience led her to become a certified childbirth educator and a professionally trained birth doula. However, she soon realized that her greatest impact lay behind the scenes—using visual storytelling (through the lens of birth work and all its nuance), strategic design, and technical knowledge to support birth workers and advocates who are driving meaningful change.
Kristen sees thoughtful design and messaging as catalysts for long-reaching community impact and positive change. By merging strategic design with a deep understanding of the birth space, she works alongside birth workers dedicated to improving maternity care, translating their vision into clear, compelling storytelling and thoughtful strategic design. She creates useful materials that support birth justice initiatives and advocacy efforts that contribute to expanding access to safer maternity care.
Kristen draws deep inspiration from the midwives, doulas, and other advocates with whom she works with, who tirelessly strive to improve birth outcomes, address disparities, and push for systemic change in maternity care.
Dedicated to supporting these birth professionals in their mission, she is honored to contribute to this vital work within the Black Midwifery Collective and beyond!
Tori Berríos-Fryison
Community Engagement Manager
Tori Berríos-Fryison, a Chicago native and mother of 2, is a dedicated administrative support specialist, birthworker, and advocate for holistic maternal and reproductive wellness. With over a decade of experience in administrative leadership and client-facing roles, she weaves together compassion, structure, efficiency, and a deep commitment to community care.
Tori is also the founder of Nurture By Nature (NxN), a full-spectrum doula practice rooted in ancestral, holistic, and indigenous healing traditions. Through her work, she provides emotional, physical, and informational support to women and families throughout pregnancy, birth, postpartum, miscarriage, and abortion, with an emphasis on equity, tenderness, and self-advocacy. Trained by the Birthworkers of Color Collective in Long Beach, California—whose guiding principles of Healing, Reconnecting, Reclaiming, and Decolonizing continue to shape her practice—Tori is devoted to uplifting BIPOC families at every stage of their reproductive journeys and works to reduce the alarming disparities in Black maternal and infant health outcomes.
In addition to her doula work, Tori’s background includes extensive experience in project management, event coordination, operations, and administrative management across both corporate and small business settings. Her ability to build positive relationships, resolve conflict with empathy, and lead with organization allows her to bring precision and passion into every space she enters.
Tori is currently completing her Associate in Arts degree at the City Colleges of Chicago, with plans to pursue a Bachelor’s in Public Health at the University of Illinois Chicago. Her long-term vision is to become a Certified Professional Midwife and expand NxN into a birth and reproductive health and wellness center on Chicago’s South Side—a safe haven that embodies holistic healing, self-determination and community empowerment.
Outside of her work, Tori cherishes time and laughter with her son, daughter, goddaughter, extended family, and friends. She finds much joy in dancing freely at live music performances and exploring Chicagoland’s vibrant café and restaurant scenes.
Patrice Perkins
Attorney
Patrice Perkins is an art, new media, and entertainment attorney. With over 14 years of experience, she has built a reputation for providing strategic legal counsel to visionary creatives and thought leaders.
Through her firm, Creative Genius Law, Patrice partners with clients in the arts, culture and new media spaces to protect their intellectual property, secure ownership and control of their work, and negotiate deals.
Her clients include renowned artist and architect Amanda Williams, social justice artist Tonika Lewis Johnson, 4x New York Times Bestselling author Luvvie Ajayi Jones, scholar-activist Dr. Yaba Blay, media personality and author Jeanne Sparrow, therapists and authors Dr. Joy Bradford of Therapy for Black Girls and Nedra Tawwab, and the renowned tap dance collective M.A.D.D. Rhythms, among others. This diverse roster reflects her expertise in working with multi-disciplinary creatives whose work shapes culture and sparks change.
Patrice is passionate about helping independent creatives achieve financial success, with a firm-wide vision of empowering clients to generate $1M+ in revenue from their intellectual property. Her practice includes advising on art transactions, exhibitions, documentary films, publishing, podcasting, brand collaborations, and licensing deals.
A recognized thought leader, Patrice has been featured in Forbes, Fortune, Bloomberg, and WBEZ. She has developed legal programming and spoken for organizations such as the Sisters in Cinema, United States Artists, and EXPO Chicago. Patrice is one of the few attorneys worldwide named a “Legal Rebel” by the American Bar Association for her innovative approach to law, including founding We’ll Work for Art, an initiative enabling artists to use their work as currency for legal services, and BLK, a program to end the exploitation of Black creativity.
Patrice earned her B.S. in Business Economics at Florida A&M University and her Juris Doctor at DePaul University. She has served on the boards of Kartemquin Films, the Greater Englewood Chamber of Commerce, and the Chicago Artists Coalition, and currently serves on the Advisory Board for the Illinois Small Business Development Center and the Board of Directors for ILA Creative Studio.
Maddie Caloo
BMC Board Director
Madison Calloo brings over seven years of expertise in business operations and strategic management, specializing in optimizing workflows, enhancing operational effectiveness, and driving organizational success. With a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and Administration from DePaul University, she combines a strong educational foundation with hands-on experience in diverse industries, including tech and HR.
Madison’s consulting work focuses on facilitating seamless IT transitions, providing comprehensive IT and Security support, and leveraging technology to streamline processes and reduce costs. She is a proven collaborator, adept at aligning cross-functional teams to achieve key objectives and ensuring long-term improvements in operational efficiency.
Beyond her professional pursuits, Madison is a passionate advocate for employee engagement and organizational culture. She has led initiatives to revamp onboarding programs, develop training sessions, and foster inclusive environments that promote mutual learning and team growth.
Alicia August Wright
A Visionary Event Extraordinaire & BMC Board Member
Alicia August Wright, the creative mastermind behind A’Vents by August (ABA), has shaped unforgettable experiences for over a decade. What began as an accidental foray into event planning and community engagement in 2009 has evolved into a dynamic enterprise that resonates with authenticity and accessibility. After experiencing corporate setbacks, Alicia channeled her passion into crafting events that truly spoke to her community on Chicago’s vibrant South Side. As the Owner and Chief Curator of ABA, Alicia’s journey has been marked by a commitment to championing cultural richness, community empowerment, and impeccable design.
With a foundation rooted in her parents’ legacy of hospitality, Alicia has etched her mark on the world of event production, floral styling, and design. A’Vents by August boasts a remarkable portfolio, where Alicia’s ingenuity has been instrumental in orchestrating full activations for renowned brands like Google, KPMG, and Nike. Her distinctive touch has graced prestigious events such as those hosted by the Obama Foundation, Discover, and the University of Chicago, while simultaneously adorning local favorites with her signature seasonal decor.
Alicia’s passion doesn’t end at event planning – her skills as a self-taught florist have garnered recognition, propelling ABA into the forefront of creative floral installations and bespoke designs.
Alicia’s journey is a testament to her commitment to community and innovation. As a Woodlawn Community Summit board member and a founding member of the Polsky Exchange, she continues to uplift and inspire. By nurturing potential client relationships and enhancing the internal infrastructure, Alicia intends to elevate A’Vents by August and catalyze growth for fellow small businesses. Alicia August Wright is more than an event planner; she is a visionary trailblazer weaving creativity, culture, and compassion into every experience she curates.
Furthermore, Alicia’s journey as a mother and her struggles with health issues such as endometritis, high-risk pregnancies, fibroids, and cysts have fueled her passion for advocating for women’s health, particularly within the Black community. She is dedicated to bringing awareness to health issues that are often misdiagnosed or overlooked, ensuring that every woman receives the care and support she deserves.
Nandi Andrea Hill
Midwfe & BMC Board Member
Nandi Andrea Hill has been a Licensed, Certified Professional Midwife in Albuquerque, New Mexico for almost 12 years and attending birth for 25 years. She is a mother of three beautiful children that she birthed at home, and a grandmother to three grandchildren, two of which are living. Nandi was born and raised in the Chicagoland area and relocated to Albuquerque, New Mexico 24 years ago to pursue a career in Midwifery. Nandi also serves on the board of the National Association to Advance Black Birth, is a member of the New Mexico Birth Equity Collaborative, Black Health New Mexico, and has served on the board of ICTC. For 17 years,
Nandi has been a strong voice in the community. She has presented at many conferences, on pregnancy, and infant healthcare inequalities. As an advocate for a healthy community, her passions include serving as a community midwife, helping reduce mortality and morbidity in pregnancy, and addressing racial biases in healthcare.
In September 2020 Nandi began working for Southwest Technical College’s midwifery program, as a clinical site coordinator and as a co-instructor.
Lisa Beltran
Volunteer
Lisa Beltran
Volunteer
Ying Dai
Communications Manager
Kerrin Cha
Intern
Kerrin is a rising senior at Northwestern University studying Social Policy and Biology on the pre-medical track. While working as a research assistant for the Social Environment and Health Lab under Dr. Kiarri Kershaw at the Feinberg School of Medicine, Kerrin has contributed to different maternal health research projects like the DREAM (Dismantling Structural Racism to Promote Equitable Maternal Health Outcomes) Study and was introduced to Black Midwifery Collective due to an interest in their policy and advocacy work for maternal health equity in Illinois.
From Los Angeles, CA, Kerrin’s experiences growing up in immigrant and minority communities fuels her desire to be an active voice and advocate for accessible community health. She is both encouraged and excited by the work of the BMC team members within the birth health justice sphere, and she looks forward to learning more.
Maddie Caloo
BMC Board Director
Madison Calloo brings over seven years of expertise in business operations and strategic management, specializing in optimizing workflows, enhancing operational effectiveness, and driving organizational success. With a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and Administration from DePaul University, she combines a strong educational foundation with hands-on experience in diverse industries, including tech and HR.
Madison’s consulting work focuses on facilitating seamless IT transitions, providing comprehensive IT and Security support, and leveraging technology to streamline processes and reduce costs. She is a proven collaborator, adept at aligning cross-functional teams to achieve key objectives and ensuring long-term improvements in operational efficiency.
Beyond her professional pursuits, Madison is a passionate advocate for employee engagement and organizational culture. She has led initiatives to revamp onboarding programs, develop training sessions, and foster inclusive environments that promote mutual learning and team growth.
Alicia August Wright
A Visionary Event Extraordinaire & BMC Board Member
Alicia August Wright, the creative mastermind behind A’Vents by August (ABA), has shaped unforgettable experiences for over a decade. What began as an accidental foray into event planning and community engagement in 2009 has evolved into a dynamic enterprise that resonates with authenticity and accessibility. After experiencing corporate setbacks, Alicia channeled her passion into crafting events that truly spoke to her community on Chicago’s vibrant South Side. As the Owner and Chief Curator of ABA, Alicia’s journey has been marked by a commitment to championing cultural richness, community empowerment, and impeccable design.
With a foundation rooted in her parents’ legacy of hospitality, Alicia has etched her mark on the world of event production, floral styling, and design. A’Vents by August boasts a remarkable portfolio, where Alicia’s ingenuity has been instrumental in orchestrating full activations for renowned brands like Google, KPMG, and Nike. Her distinctive touch has graced prestigious events such as those hosted by the Obama Foundation, Discover, and the University of Chicago, while simultaneously adorning local favorites with her signature seasonal decor.
Alicia’s passion doesn’t end at event planning – her skills as a self-taught florist have garnered recognition, propelling ABA into the forefront of creative floral installations and bespoke designs.
Alicia’s journey is a testament to her commitment to community and innovation. As a Woodlawn Community Summit board member and a founding member of the Polsky Exchange, she continues to uplift and inspire. By nurturing potential client relationships and enhancing the internal infrastructure, Alicia intends to elevate A’Vents by August and catalyze growth for fellow small businesses. Alicia August Wright is more than an event planner; she is a visionary trailblazer weaving creativity, culture, and compassion into every experience she curates.
Furthermore, Alicia’s journey as a mother and her struggles with health issues such as endometritis, high-risk pregnancies, fibroids, and cysts have fueled her passion for advocating for women’s health, particularly within the Black community. She is dedicated to bringing awareness to health issues that are often misdiagnosed or overlooked, ensuring that every woman receives the care and support she deserves.
Endia Williams
Executive Assistant
Endia Williams is a mother and a certified full-spectrum doula and lactation specialist. She has an associate’s degree in Business Administration and is completing a bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration, aiming to help organizations focused on Black maternal healthcare.
Kiarri Kershaw
Researcher
Kiarri Kershaw is a social epidemiologist whose research focuses on understanding and addressing structural and social drivers of health and health inequities. She has extensive experience in the application of advanced geospatial and statistical methodologies using several large maternal and cardiovascular health cohort studies. Dr. Kershaw also has multiple federally-funded studies that involve primary data collection using ecological momentary assessments to examine associations of the places people go, who they spend time with, and everyday stressful experiences with various health behaviors and outcomes.
Nicollette Moore
Researcher
Nicollette Moore has a master’s degree of public health with a concentration in maternal and child health and program evaluation. She has over six years of experience leading and supporting maternal and reproductive health equity projects in the private, public, and academic sectors. Nicollette currently works at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine leading the day-to-day tasks of a community-centered maternal health research project overseen by Dr. Kiarri Kershaw.
Syd. D
Volunteer
Syd D. (they/them) has built their career in the fields of local government, medical, education, and local nonprofits, both as an Executive Assistant and in Operations management roles. Syd seeks their vision for the future in their work as Operations Manager at a BIPOC birthwork and midwifery-focused nonprofit. They bring that same excitement, gratitude, and hope for the future in their volunteer role at Black Midwifery Collective. When not on the job or volunteering, Syd can be found enjoying the outdoors and bodies of water, making art, immersing themselves in music, or reading a good book.
Syd. D
Volunteer
Shariah
Community Coordinator/ Student Midwife
Shariah is an experienced National Black Doula Association (NBDA) certified postpartum and birth doula on our team as well as a breastfeeding counselor. She has supported families in home births, freestanding birth centers, hospital birth centers and virtual settings. She has experience with vaginal births, VBAC births and C-section births. As a postpartum doula, she has supported first time families, families with sibling children, and is experienced with both daytime and overnight care.
As a birth doula, Shariah is able to bring a lot of her own personal history to her scope of practice. As a mom herself she has personally experienced birth on many levels from c-section to vbac, homebirth, birth center birth, as well as NICU infant care. Shariah truly loves the process of pregnancy and the transformation mothers and families go through. She loves helping families feel supported and informed as they go through this process. She helps mothers connect with themselves and gain the confidence necessary to achieve their personal and birth goals. She is experienced with herbal sitz baths, yoni steaming, prenatal, birth and postnatal massage, as well as infant massage.
As a postpartum doula, Shariah knows the postpartum period in a family’s life is truly special. She enjoys nourishing the mother: as every time a baby is born, a mother is born. She is a source of strength and information for new mothers. She is very supportive of breastfeeding and the first feeding after birth and at home are something Shariah takes great lengths to ensure is done correctly while in her care. She trained as a breastfeeding peer counselor and offers emotional and physical support for her clients during the postpartum breastfeeding period. She is also experienced with baby wearing and cloth diapering.
Shariah has worked as a CNA, massage therapist, holistic health coach, prenatal yoga teacher, and has taught yoga to children for emotional regulation and relaxation. She became a doula to help ease the transition into motherhood and parenthood, to help heal lost community connection, and to honor the mother/birthing person. A focus in her practice is to shift the focus so heavily placed only on the baby, to being more balanced and aware of the needs mothers have during the different phases of motherhood.
Families describe Shariah as empathetic, patient and incredibly helpful. She provides personalized support and truly wants to make families’ birth and postpartum experiences as enjoyable and stress-free as possible by creating a calm and confident environment.
In Shariah’s free time, she likes to dance, listen to music, practice yoga, and enjoy the tender moments of motherhood with her 6 children and extended family.
Megan Groves
Communications Consultant
Megan has been a nonprofit communications professional and grassroots social justice organizer for over 12 years. Formerly the Director of Development & Communications at Uptown People’s Law Center, for eight years she led campaigns that dramatically increased the organization’s funding and visibility. Now a freelance consultant, she helps nonprofits leverage strategic communications to amplify their impact. Megan has been working with BMC since Summer 2024.
Andrea Vaughn
Community Coordinator/ Student Midwife
I am a certified birth and postpartum doula and am an aspiring midwife attending Commonsense Midwifery school in Orlando, Florida. I have experience with co-sleeping, multiples, breastfeeding, special needs babies, IVF, single parents, teen parents, medicated/epidural, unmedicated/natural birth, water birth, domestic violence, belly birth (cesareans), and advanced maternal age. My mission is to support ALL families regardless of age, race, gender, family structure, or birthing location.
Syd. D
Volunteer
Alicia August Wright
A Visionary Event Extraordinaire & BMC Board Member
Alicia August Wright, the creative mastermind behind A’Vents by August (ABA), has shaped unforgettable experiences for over a decade. What began as an accidental foray into event planning and community engagement in 2009 has evolved into a dynamic enterprise that resonates with authenticity and accessibility. After experiencing corporate setbacks, Alicia channeled her passion into crafting events that truly spoke to her community on Chicago’s vibrant South Side. As the Owner and Chief Curator of ABA, Alicia’s journey has been marked by a commitment to championing cultural richness, community empowerment, and impeccable design.
With a foundation rooted in her parents’ legacy of hospitality, Alicia has etched her mark on the world of event production, floral styling, and design. A’Vents by August boasts a remarkable portfolio, where Alicia’s ingenuity has been instrumental in orchestrating full activations for renowned brands like Google, KPMG, and Nike. Her distinctive touch has graced prestigious events such as those hosted by the Obama Foundation, Discover, and the University of Chicago, while simultaneously adorning local favorites with her signature seasonal decor.
Alicia’s passion doesn’t end at event planning – her skills as a self-taught florist have garnered recognition, propelling ABA into the forefront of creative floral installations and bespoke designs.
Alicia’s journey is a testament to her commitment to community and innovation. As a Woodlawn Community Summit board member and a founding member of the Polsky Exchange, she continues to uplift and inspire. By nurturing potential client relationships and enhancing the internal infrastructure, Alicia intends to elevate A’Vents by August and catalyze growth for fellow small businesses. Alicia August Wright is more than an event planner; she is a visionary trailblazer weaving creativity, culture, and compassion into every experience she curates.
Furthermore, Alicia’s journey as a mother and her struggles with health issues such as endometritis, high-risk pregnancies, fibroids, and cysts have fueled her passion for advocating for women’s health, particularly within the Black community. She is dedicated to bringing awareness to health issues that are often misdiagnosed or overlooked, ensuring that every woman receives the care and support she deserves.
We Rely on Evidence Based Research
“Research shows that there are specific care models that can make a concrete difference in improving maternity care quality and producing better outcomes, including for birthing People of Color. One of these is the care provided in community birth settings… Almost exclusively, such care is led by midwives.”
From Improving Our Maternity Care Now Through Community Birth Settings
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