Jamaa Birth Village

Jamaa Birth Village The Historic Jamaa Birth Village Cultural Heritage Center envisions a world where birth is sacred, communal and grounded in ancestral wisdom.

We preserve & elevate African diasporic midwifery through care, cultural preservation, education and advocacy. For more information please call 314-643-7703 or visit JamaaBirthVillage.org

As this month comes to a close, one thing we hope people carry with them is this:✨Deep in disturbed rest matters.✨Having...
05/29/2026

As this month comes to a close, one thing we hope people carry with them is this:

✨Deep in disturbed rest matters.

✨Having trusted community with genuine folks, where the relationships aren’t based on transactions matters.

✨Deep cultural care, where you can be your whole self matters.

So much of this work is about showing up for others, but this month reminded us that we also deserve moments to pause, reflect, heal, and reconnect with ourselves too.

As you move into a new month, give yourself one small act of care:
• Explore different forms of hydration: Coconut water, cucumber water, mint water, etc.
• Find a cozy special place in nature to regularly come back to
• Plan low or no-tech hours, and ease into no screens at least an hour prior to bed for deeper rest
• Identify trusted people who you may feel safe leaning on deeper in asking for help prior to struggling
• Plan more naps, rest or down time, without guilt

Trust yourself in creating the small habits that uplift, restore & pour into you.🤎

Pouring into others prior to pouring into ourselves, is oftentimes the foundation for burnout.Today we’re calling in bir...
05/28/2026

Pouring into others prior to pouring into ourselves, is oftentimes the foundation for burnout.

Today we’re calling in birth workers, midwives, doulas, mental health counselors, and those who serve others.

Your care matters too, and oftentimes, in serving and caring for others, our well being is inadvertently impacted. Here’s a gentle reminder that your healing is also a continuous part of the work.

Take a moment to check in with yourself today, and consider your mental, spiritual and physical well-being. If this resonates, share it with another birthworker who needs the reminder.🌿

One thing about this work is nobody does it alone.Behind every movement, every birthworker, every space like Jamaa Birth...
05/27/2026

One thing about this work is nobody does it alone.

Behind every movement, every birthworker, every space like Jamaa Birth Village, there are people who showed up early, powerfully, and consistently.

This year, we were blessed to honor 4-incredible women with Black Maternal Health Awards:

✨Okunsola M. Amadou Trailblazer Award- Erica Strong

✨Mary Stepp Burnette HaydenCommunity Healer Award-Queen Afua

✨Abdaraya Victoria Montou Maternal Health Warrior Award- Mama Tomasina & Corrinna Edwards

This year’s award recipients remind us that legacy is not just built through titles or visibility, often, it is built through sacrifice, community care, mentorship, advocacy, healing, and simply saying yes when someone needs support.

We are deeply honored to celebrate these powerful women and the impact they continue to have on families, birth work, and Black Maternal Health across generations. 💜

The African Indigenous Midwifery Library & Research Institute was created as a sacred space for research, reflection, an...
05/26/2026

The African Indigenous Midwifery Library & Research Institute was created as a sacred space for research, reflection, and community knowledge.

A place where you can sit with the work. Study deeply and be connected to the true stories of Indigenous, cultural and communal births-and its evolution.

The AIM LRI is open Wednesday–Saturday, 10am–4pm, with free 2-hour study sessions available by appointment on our website.

Book your visit:
https://jamaabirthvillage.org/black-midwifery-library-research-institute/

Some people are looking for a job.Some people are looking for work that feels aligned with their purpose.Jamaa Birth Vil...
05/22/2026

Some people are looking for a job.
Some people are looking for work that feels aligned with their purpose.

Jamaa Birth Village is growing, and we are currently hiring for several roles across our organization for people who feel called to community care, cultural stewardship, education, operations, and birthwork.

Current opportunities include:
✨ Founder’s Administrative & Educational Coordinator
✨ Contract Doula Educator
✨ Community & Operations Coordinator
✨ Executive Operations Assistant

This work matters deeply to us, and we’re looking for people who understand that caring for community takes intention, compassion, and commitment behind the scenes too.

If this speaks to you, we invite you to apply. 🤎

https://jamaabirthvillage.org/career-opportunities/

Sunni Patterson was one of the many powerful voices featured at this year’s Missouri Black Maternal Health Summit.We’re ...
05/22/2026

Sunni Patterson was one of the many powerful voices featured at this year’s Missouri Black Maternal Health Summit.

We’re grateful she was part of this year’s experience and helped contribute to the conversations, reflections, and community that made the summit so meaningful.

Still reflecting on so many moments from this year’s summit.

See y’all next year. 💜

Today is World Meditation Day, and the truth is… many of us were introduced to meditation long before we ever heard the ...
05/21/2026

Today is World Meditation Day, and the truth is… many of us were introduced to meditation long before we ever heard the word itself.

Before people called it mindfulness, our people prayed, tarried, hummed, rocked, breathed deep, and repeated songs and hymns until they settled into the spirit.

Maybe it looked like mothers and grandmothers humming while they worked. Sitting quietly on porches after long days. Rocking babies. Brushing hair at the stove. Whispering “yes Lord” over and over again like breath, like rhythm, like release.

Those practices were intentional. They were grounding. They were sacred forms of meditation too.

At this year’s Missouri Black Maternal Health Summit, we intentionally made space to pause, breathe, reflect, and reset because caring for yourself is part of the work too. Rest, stillness, and softness are not separate from liberation work. They are necessary to our survival.

Meditation does not have to be complicated.

🤎 Take a few deep breaths before reaching for your phone
🤎 Sit in silence for 5 minutes
🤎 Step outside and listen to the world around you
🤎 Hum, pray, journal, or rest
🤎 Let yourself be still for a moment without guilt

Midwifery care at Jamaa is culturally integrated, clinical and spiritual care. It’s being seen, heard, supported, and ca...
05/20/2026

Midwifery care at Jamaa is culturally integrated, clinical and spiritual care. It’s being seen, heard, supported, and cared for as a whole person.

At Jamaa Birth Village here in St. Louis, our care is grounded in tradition, community, and holistic wellness for both mama and baby.

Whether you are preparing for birth, navigating pregnancy, or looking for culturally-aligned support, we got you.

Learn more about midwifery care at Jamaa: www.jamaabirthvillage.org

Jamaa Birth Village is outside. 🤎We’re proud to see our Director of Operations & Cultural Stewardship, Qiana M. Lewis, r...
05/19/2026

Jamaa Birth Village is outside. 🤎

We’re proud to see our Director of Operations & Cultural Stewardship, Qiana M. Lewis, representing Jamaa Birth Village as a featured speaker at the NOVA Black Repro Summit taking place May 19–21 in Chicago, Illinois, the birthplace of the Reproductive Justice Framework.

From community care to reproductive justice conversations, our team remains committed to showing up in spaces that center Black maternal health, advocacy, education, and cultural care.
We love seeing Jamaa represented beyond our walls and connected to the larger movement happening across the country.

If you’re attending the summit, make sure you tap in with Qiana and the incredible work happening at NOVA. ✨

The African Indigenous Midwifery Museum offers guided and self-guided tours bringing the stories, wisdom and documented ...
05/18/2026

The African Indigenous Midwifery Museum offers guided and self-guided tours bringing the stories, wisdom and documented cultural ways of Black midwife legacies, history and folklore to life.

AIMM is open Wednesday–Saturday, 10am–4pm right in the heart of Ferguson, MO.

Tours must be scheduled in advance via our website, with openings now available June and onwards.

Book your tour today:
https://jamaabirthvillage.org/black-midwifery-museum/

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St. Louis, MO

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