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April 11, 2025
9:00AM - 5:00PM
Riverside EpiCenter | Austell, Ga

What to Expect?

The Georgia Black Doula Day Conference (GBDDC) aims to bring together Black doulas, healthcare professionals, and community leaders to discuss the importance of culturally competent care in maternal health, particularly for Black women. The conference will provide a platform for networking, education, and advocacy, with the ultimate goal of improving birth outcomes and reducing health disparities in Georgia.

What is Black Doula Day?

Coined in 2022 by Okunsola M. Amadou with five-honorable proclamations designating every April 11th as Black Doula Day™. This year will mark the official global launch of Black Doula Day™ in partnership with Jamaa Birth Village, Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Ancient Song, Atlanta Doula Collective, STL Doulas of Color Collective, Southern Birth Justice Network, Sankofa Healing Center and ROOTT.

Collectively national Black Doula and Black Maternal Health organizations will lead a call to action and Pep Rally on April 11th highlighting 7-core demands to protect, advance and uplift the Black Doula profession.​

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7 CORE DEMANDS FOR BLACK DOULA DAY ™

  1. Eliminate misconceptions of the doula scope of practice, including the difference between a doula and a midwife.

  2.  Doulas should be paid an equitable reimbursement wage via private and Medicaid insurance at a minimum global reimbursement rate of $3000 USD.

  3. Community-based and BIPOC-led organizations and Doulas in the state must be “included” as “experts” in the process of drafting legislation for reimbursement or in lieu of service (ILOS).

  4. Doulas should not be used or exploited as a solution or bandage to the biased health care system.

  5. Mental health care must be prioritized for BIPOC doulas who are continuously traumatized while attending births along with managing complicated personal lives due to the sacrifice of being on call and carrying the burden of the system.

  6. Doulas belong to the community not the state. States should not limit the type of trainings that doulas can take and certify with.

  7. It is important to emphasize the care components of the profession using terms such as Birth Companion, Family Support, etc… over the colonialist term Doula.

Black women in the United States are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. In Georgia, the maternal mortality rate for Black women is 47.2 deaths per 100,000 live births, compared to 14.1 deaths per 100,000 live births for white women. These disparities are largely attributed to systemic racism, lack of access to quality healthcare, and inadequate cultural competency in maternal care.

The Georgia Black Doula Network, GBDN, is a vital initiative launched by the Atlanta Doula Collective, Inc. in 2024, targeting healthcare deserts and focusing on providing essential support to Black and Indigenous communities, by increasing the local doula workforce and promoting its long-term sustainability. As maternal health in the South, particularly for Black women, reaches a crisis point due to restrictive policies undermining reproductive rights, the GBDN is committed to improving maternal health outcomes for these underserved communities.

Conference
Highlights

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 Keynote Speaker

Shaccona Hailey, M.A., CHD

Expert Certified Holistic Doula & Perinatal Consultant

Faculty in African Diaspora & The World and Visiting Professor in Comparative Women’s Studies at Spelman College in Atlanta, GA. 

Dean of Students of the Matrona Foundation Quantum Midwifery Birthkeepers Program.

Publications include in the Green Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology: “A Doula’s Presence” and Special Edition of Obstetrics & Gynecology:
Racism in Reproductive Health: Lighting a Path to Health Equity, “The Power of Language in Hospital Care for Pregnant and Birthing People: A Vision for Change“, and a publication forthcoming in Journal of Racial and Ethnic
Health, “Addressing Racial Disparities in the Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy: A Plan for Action from the Preeclampsia Foundation’s Racial Disparities Task Force.”

 

Film Screening

Cradled In Culture, Reclaiming the Legacy of Black Doula Care

A​ powerful documentary produced by the Atlanta Doula Collective, that delves into the rich history and resurgence of Black Doula care in Atlanta, GA.

 

​ Break-out Sessions & Workshops

Sarahn Henderson, Traditional Midwife

Birth In the Tradition

The History of Birthwork in Georgia​

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Shamika Miller, Postpartum Doula & Herbalist

 Essence the Herbalist

Herbal Support For Maternal Health

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Janisa Camille, Full-Spectrum Doula

 Doula of the Divine

Doula Support in Homebirth

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Israel Route, Program Manager ROBE,

Reaching Our Brothers Everywhere

Black Men In Maternal Healthcare

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Atlanta Doula Collective

Labor & Postpartum Support Specialists

A team of Doulas leading a community grassroots movement, aimed to fill the gap in Black Maternal Healthcare. 

11345 Tara Blvd, STE 4-279

 Hampton, GA, 30228

Email: info@atlantadoulacollective.org

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Copyright © 2020 Atlanta Doula Collective, Inc. All rights reserved | Created by Y'Na Evans 

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