https://bejma.org/blog daily 0.75 2025-06-23 https://bejma.org/blog/bejma-sponsors-propa-citys-2025-family-restoration-day-d95c8 monthly 0.5 2026-06-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/90ab4b1b-ec2b-4186-b9f0-64655a0e0cd3/New+BEJMA+Chairs.JPG Blog - A New Chapter for BEJMA: Introducing Our Interim Co-Chairs! - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://bejma.org/blog/bejma-sponsors-propa-citys-2025-family-restoration-day-hxfws monthly 0.5 2026-06-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/b6e82680-b863-4628-83e7-d510a510bc1d/Symposium+2025.PNG Blog - Honoring Our Leaders: Thank You for Your Service to BEJMA Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://bejma.org/blog/bejma-sponsors-propa-citys-2025-family-restoration-day monthly 0.5 2025-06-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/fe96cf6c-6e30-453f-baf8-981abdee9458/IMG_0304.jpeg Blog - BEJMA Sponsors Propa City's 2025 Family Restoration Day - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/65f9bd53-1d4f-42a2-ae2d-d7e4f6059182/IMG_6660.jpeg Blog - BEJMA Sponsors Propa City's 2025 Family Restoration Day - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://bejma.org/blog/celebrating-black-maternal-health-week-2025 monthly 0.5 2025-05-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/3b87b0ed-9e65-417b-b0cc-ba1b000aa956/1.png Blog - Celebrating Black Maternal Health Week 2025 - Black Maternal Health Week 2025 This week BEJMA is celebrating Black Maternal Health Week and the inspiring work of organizations that are advancing reproductive justice and birth equity to address the disparities in health outcomes for Black birthing people. With the rate of Black pregnancy-related mortality 3 to 4 times higher than the rate for non-Hispanic White birthing people, BEJMA is working collaboratively across the silos of maternal health to foreground equity in maternal health policy and build community power through a lens of justice. We envision a racially just and equitable world in which birthing people experience health, joy, and bodily autonomy! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/a88ac4eb-a4fd-49d5-a05b-0636cad9c5ca/IMG_9672.jpeg Blog - Celebrating Black Maternal Health Week 2025 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/7b8c6e0c-dfd9-4ef4-baca-d503d4eedfbf/IMG_9673.jpeg Blog - Celebrating Black Maternal Health Week 2025 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/65ca3c9f-6e7c-4edf-962f-99b872bf12a3/IMG_9674.jpeg Blog - Celebrating Black Maternal Health Week 2025 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/c2f94063-a68f-4207-b682-743e259cf401/IMG_9675.jpeg Blog - Celebrating Black Maternal Health Week 2025 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://bejma.org/blog/e-cross-blue-shield-massachusetts-health-justice-partnership-and-grant-program monthly 0.5 2025-05-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/358bedaf-e123-486c-bd33-9728c04ca0e8/BCBSMA+Health+Justice+Grant+Announcement.png Blog - Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts Health Justice Partnership and Grant Program - Another Big Win for BEJMA! We’re beyond excited to share that BEJMA has been invited to Blue Cross Blue Shield MA’s Health Justice Partnership and Grant Program! The program provides wrap around support to organizations advancing health justice across the Commonwealth. A huge THANK YOU to BCBSMA for investing in our work. With this grant, we’re ready to make an even bigger impact - stay tuned for what’s next! https://bejma.org/blog/blue-cross-blue-shield-massachusetts-foundation-perinatal-health-initiative-grant monthly 0.5 2025-05-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/4ffa78f4-314c-4e11-b86b-6fd31dbfd06e/BCBSMA+Foundation+Perinatal+Health+Initiative+Grant+Announcement.png Blog - Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts Foundation Perinatal Health Initiative Grant - Exciting News! We’re thrilled to announce that BEJMA has been awarded the Perinatal Health Initiative Grant to further our vision of a racially just & equitable world with health, joy, & bodily autonomy for birthing people. We’re beyond grateful to the Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts Foundation for believing in our work. Together, we’re creating real change! Stay tuned for updates on how this funding will make a difference. https://bejma.org/blog/bejmas-march-newsletter monthly 0.5 2025-05-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/d47a4c7d-3d73-4da0-a843-0888f93e6eb8/1.png Blog - BEJMA's March Newsletter - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/9a58e8e3-badc-48fe-ba17-0fdeebcdd281/2.jpg Blog - BEJMA's March Newsletter - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/f7cd8199-0079-4303-9396-df2a9b49c72b/3.jpg Blog - BEJMA's March Newsletter - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/0b72bdc9-4fd0-4f96-b5f0-bf1beb212164/4.jpg Blog - BEJMA's March Newsletter - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/756f10de-fc9f-4edf-8d69-9ce7e4821ba4/5.png Blog - BEJMA's March Newsletter - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/a29a23d8-604d-4f61-94e7-6645874452af/6.jpg Blog - BEJMA's March Newsletter - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/d99b2a25-d9d5-4f4e-b436-66bf18ba26f1/7.jpg Blog - BEJMA's March Newsletter - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://bejma.org/blog/welcoming-our-new-co-chair monthly 0.5 2026-06-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/cc59ef47-c6a4-4930-a8a8-cae58398eda1/My+headshot+%281%29.jpg Blog - Welcome our new Co-Chair, Soraya DosSantos, and thank you to our outgoing Co-Chair, Yaminah Romulus - Make it stand out New co-chair Soraya DosSantos https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/fa2e88cc-d02a-44ea-90aa-f8961da202c6/Yaminah+Romulus+SO_00217_23+%281%29.jpg Blog - Welcome our new Co-Chair, Soraya DosSantos, and thank you to our outgoing Co-Chair, Yaminah Romulus - Make it stand out Outgoing co-chair Yaminah Romulus https://bejma.org/blog/happy-new-year-from-bejma monthly 0.5 2025-03-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/017d5a83-a274-480d-b088-9246457ef43c/983392fc-0d36-15bd-05c7-b62f5b720148.jpg Blog - Happy New Year from BEJMA! - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://bejma.org/blog/blue-cross-blue-shield-massachusetts-health-justice-partnership-reception monthly 0.5 2025-05-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/f0ae1cb6-2bf0-4a38-acd2-456aab5cf474/IMG_9251.jpeg Blog - Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts Health Justice Partnership Reception - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/db6b5773-e196-4af7-ac3d-b4ac3acb93ae/IMG_9250.jpeg Blog - Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts Health Justice Partnership Reception - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/75817a82-2254-4361-82ac-caa989dd02ae/IMG_9249.jpeg Blog - Blue Cross Blue Shield Massachusetts Health Justice Partnership Reception - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://bejma.org/blog/maternal-health-omnibusbirthing-justice-bill-is-signed-into-massachusetts-law monthly 0.5 2026-06-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/30b49aec-2566-480c-999c-aa1c2307c292/22e1f18a-0f4e-4715-bacd-dc1601635f0c.jpg Blog - Maternal Health Omnibus/Birthing Justice Bill is signed into Massachusetts law! - Make it stand out Photo credit: Stefanie Belnavis of Birthlooms https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/834d41dc-9e85-4b6e-aaaf-6b159179d6f6/75d8687e-9d28-4e4b-b8b9-a2d8ad879890.jpg Blog - Maternal Health Omnibus/Birthing Justice Bill is signed into Massachusetts law! - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://bejma.org/blog/birth-equity-and-justice-massachusetts-inaugural-newsletter-september-9th-2024 monthly 0.5 2025-03-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/0e5735a8-4274-448f-baa8-dd4997e677f9/92caf93d-b0de-a572-0435-8e567f393982.jpeg Blog - Birth Equity and Justice Massachusetts’ Inaugural Newsletter: September 9th, 2024 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/0517051a-91f4-4c86-a946-87ef95331ad8/ae226708-1e4d-6555-ff76-7568319d7500.jpg Blog - Birth Equity and Justice Massachusetts’ Inaugural Newsletter: September 9th, 2024 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/9cc8a54e-5ba6-4b3f-8a49-1cca0e2f5724/First+BEJMA+Newsletter.jpg Blog - Birth Equity and Justice Massachusetts’ Inaugural Newsletter: September 9th, 2024 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/09aa1003-8200-46ac-8950-1d44f6d9f627/2a95c85f-c0d4-4868-fe3a-17710b36774e.jpg Blog - Birth Equity and Justice Massachusetts’ Inaugural Newsletter: September 9th, 2024 - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://bejma.org/blog/bejma-joined-other-advocates-for-an-advocacy-day-at-the-massachusetts-statehouse-for-the-critical-maternal-health-package monthly 0.5 2026-06-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/fcd3fca6-fe6e-4e84-a515-6b797fb22422/July+10th+Advocacy+Day.png Blog - July Advocacy Day for the Critical Maternal Health Package - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://bejma.org/blog/bejmas-first-steering-committee-retreat monthly 0.5 2026-06-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/5e912608-58b9-4b3b-9d72-12985ea69742/Steering+Committee.png Blog - BEJMA's First Steering Committee Retreat - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://bejma.org/blog/bejma-co-chairs-yaminah-romulus-and-dr-jallicia-jolly-featured-at-boston-womens-fund-reproductive-justice-symposium monthly 0.5 2026-06-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/1713733528003-F3SFRTYDNIL3PZH6SDQD/bejma+bwf+event.jpg Blog - BEJMA co-chairs Yaminah Romulus and Dr. Jallicia Jolly featured at Boston Women's Fund Reproductive Justice Symposium - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://bejma.org/blog/bejma-co-hosts-birthing-justice-screening-and-panel-at-the-state-house monthly 0.5 2026-06-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/624c6056-124a-41b9-8377-54193976daa5/IMG_8524.JPEG Blog - BEJMA co-hosts Birthing Justice screening and panel at the State House - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/1713731125692-1ELADEOY7C7N80DLD2MS/IMG_4061.jpg Blog - BEJMA co-hosts Birthing Justice screening and panel at the State House https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/1713731078536-EJ0ZY9SO59BCG0ATY3GK/IMG_3954.jpg Blog - BEJMA co-hosts Birthing Justice screening and panel at the State House https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/1713731099028-8X779F40SRVMWNE6A5YQ/IMG_4036.jpg Blog - BEJMA co-hosts Birthing Justice screening and panel at the State House https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/1713731111801-VR5ZC2M3Z9HVHNIB9ENU/IMG_4005.jpg Blog - BEJMA co-hosts Birthing Justice screening and panel at the State House https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/1713731408475-Z6AFWPHXYTWVEHCXJI3G/IMG_1153.jpg Blog - BEJMA co-hosts Birthing Justice screening and panel at the State House https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/1713731504421-HMXTFQEIMWK5NOQ9P7TY/IMG_3868.jpg Blog - BEJMA co-hosts Birthing Justice screening and panel at the State House https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/8c22a312-4b26-42da-a24c-8deddaf8bdd6/Birthing+Justice+Film+Screening+April+8+banner.png Blog - BEJMA co-hosts Birthing Justice screening and panel at the State House - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://bejma.org/blog/boston-womens-fund-grantee-fall-gathering monthly 0.5 2026-06-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/96276f43-dd03-48e5-ab92-89dce67df91d/BWF+Gathering.png Blog - Boston Women's Fund Fall Grantee Gathering - Make it stand out BEJMA Co-Chairs Yaminah Romulus (left) and Jallicia Jolly (right) https://bejma.org/blog/boston-globe-august-10-2023-boston-based-maternal-health-organizations-get-funding-boost-to-help-cover-cost-of-doulas-other-supports monthly 0.5 2026-06-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/34e5a812-7158-4e0c-8551-5d584fd75e53/BEJMA+Globe.png Blog - Boston Globe - August 10, 2023, Boston-based maternal health organizations get funding boost to help cover cost of doulas, other supports - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://bejma.org/blog/haitian-amp-latinx-migrants-need-your-help monthly 0.5 2026-06-08 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/b0f12825-d12b-48c3-b3cc-4254a614e675/1.png Blog - Haitian & Latinx Migrants Need Your Help - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://bejma.org/blog/introducingbejma monthly 0.5 2026-06-08 https://bejma.org/blog/blue-cross-blue-shield-of-ma-foundation-grant monthly 0.5 2026-06-08 https://bejma.org/blog/annual-massachusetts-maternal-health-equity-community-town-hall-on-june-3-2021 monthly 0.5 2026-06-08 https://bejma.org/blog/new-coalition-demands-that-governor-and-legislature-take-immediate-action-to-address-maternal-mortality-crisis-during-covid-19 monthly 0.5 2026-06-08 https://bejma.org/blog/new-report-giving-birth-in-a-pandemic-policy-recommendations-to-improve-maternal-equity-during-covid-19 monthly 0.5 2026-06-08 https://bejma.org/blog/statement-against-police-brutality-and-the-impact-of-systemic-racism-on-maternal-outcomes monthly 0.5 2026-06-08 https://bejma.org/blog/hundreds-attend-first-maternal-health-equity-town-hall monthly 0.5 2026-06-08 https://bejma.org/blog/new-coalition-forms-and-hosts-town-hall-to-address-crisis-of-maternity-care-inequity-in-the-commonwealth-during-covid-19 monthly 0.5 2026-06-08 https://bejma.org/blog/tag/news monthly 0.5 https://bejma.org/blog/tag/migrant monthly 0.5 https://bejma.org/blog/tag/media monthly 0.5 https://bejma.org/blog/tag/grant monthly 0.5 https://bejma.org/blog/tag/action+alert monthly 0.5 https://bejma.org/blog/tag/events monthly 0.5 https://bejma.org/home daily 1.0 2026-06-27 https://bejma.org/contact daily 0.75 2026-06-27 https://bejma.org/mission daily 0.75 2026-06-27 https://bejma.org/steering daily 0.75 2026-06-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/7230b426-9e77-4c8d-81f3-fbb4aa05a138/Screenshot+2026-06-27+at+1.38.22%E2%80%AFPM.png Meet Our Team Jo-Anna Rorie, CNM, MSN, MPH, FACM, PHD Dr. Jo-Anna Rorie is the nurse coordinator for the Bridges to Moms program, one of three programs offered by Health Care Without Walls, a nonprofit volunteer program of physicians, nurse practitioners, and community health workers who offer free medical care to homeless women across the lifespan. The Bridges to Moms is a program specifically designed to support pregnant and postpartum homeless women and their families around 4 key social determinants of health: housing, food security, transportation, and personal safety. She has an extensive background in nurse midwifery, public health, diversity workforce development, and social justice advocacy, and has held many well-known leadership roles in midwifery at the local, regional, and national levels. Dr. Rorie began her career in the late 1980’s, at a time when Massachusetts faced an infant mortality crisis, especially in the Boston neighborhoods of North Dorchester, Mattapan, and Roxbury. An extensive needs assessment led to a city-wide maternal and child health (MCH) agenda. Jo-Anna’s fingerprints were all over that agenda, and the subsequent recommendations calling for community-based perinatal initiatives that would utilize nurse-midwifery services as a critical element of care for underserved communities. Her zest to be part of the next generation of solutions to public health challenges has not wavered over 35 years of frontline work, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. She continues to practice clinically as the postpartum rounder for the Nurse Midwifery practice at Boston Medical Center. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/47d1379b-4f25-4746-b53e-5924c6f44aaa/tiffany.jpg Meet Our Team - Make it stand out Tiffany Vassell, MS, RN Tiffany Vassell, MS, RN, is a maternal health advocate, equity leader, nurse educator, and also serves as the director of a maternal infant program. With nearly a decade of experience as a labor and delivery nurse, she has also worked as a substance use recovery nurse in Boston, demonstrating her deep commitment to patient-centered, community-rooted care. A proud double alumna of the MGH Institute of Health Professions, Tiffany earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2014 and now her Master of Science in Leadership in Nursing Education. She also serves as a clinical nurse instructor at the Institute, supporting the next generation of nurses, and as a Health Equity and Leadership Fellow, working with faculty and staff to advance engagement and integrate health equity into the curriculum. Tiffany is a passionate advocate for reproductive justice, bodily autonomy, systems, and policy transformation in maternal and infant health. She is a co-author of the award-winning book Preparation for a Hospital Birth, recognized by the National Black Nurses Association for advancing maternal health equity. She is a 2025–2026 Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Fellow, continuing to deepen her leadership in quality improvement, innovation, and health equity. Tiffany serves as Vice President of the Bay State Birth Coalition and Co-Chair of Birth Equity & Justice Massachusetts (BEJMA), and contributes nationally through her work with her sorority, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated. She is also a proud member of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. Her leadership has been widely recognized, including honors from the Boston Public Health Commission, the Urban League of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Nurses Association, and the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. Above all, Tiffany is a proud mother of two, Amelia and Kash, whose lives continue to shape her commitment to equity and justice. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/2f602923-d22b-42e0-8a73-ef07281350ed/NAO_HEADSHOT.jpeg Meet Our Team Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha is the Julia A. Okoro Professor of Black Maternal Health in the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. Dr. Amutah-Onukagha is the Founder and Director of the Center for Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice (CBMHRJ) and the Maternal Outcomes of Translational Health Equity Research (MOTHER) Lab. In addition, she is the founder of the largest conference on Black maternal health in the United States, held annually in April. In its 8th year, the conference has recently attracted participants from over 46 states and 10 countries. An active scholar, Dr. Amutah-Onukagha’s research investigates maternal health disparities, infant mortality, reproductive health and social justice, and HIV/AIDS as experienced by Black women. She also serves as the inaugural Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the university’s Public Health and Professional Degree Programs. A well-published author, Dr. Amutah-Onukagha’s research has been presented in over 85 manuscripts, 8 book chapters, a best-selling book on Amazon, and a textbook on culturally responsive evaluation. Her research has also been featured across a series of platforms, including The Lancet, TEDx, USA Today, MSNBC, and, most recently, in the New York Times. She also serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Women’s Health Issues. Currently, Dr. Amutah-Onukagha is the Principal Investigator of two multi -year studies on maternal mortality and morbidity. She is an active co-investigator on several other research studies with collaborators across the country. In 2023, she received the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the March of Dimes and the Academic Excellence in Maternal Health award from the IRTH app. In 2022, she received the John MacQueen lecture award from the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs. Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah Onukagha was an honoree of the 2020 Top 40 under 40 Minority Leaders in Healthcare, as presented by the National Minority Quality Forum. She also holds federal and international appointments and was appointed by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to the Advisory Council on Infant and Maternal Mortality for a 4-year term. In 2024, she was appointed to serve as the Inaugural Health Equity Think Tank Director for Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., an international organization with over 125,000 members. A community-engaged leader, she is a founding member of Birth Equity Justice MA, a board member for the Neighborhood Birth Center in Boston, and a board member for Dr. Shalons’ Maternal Action Project. Dr. Amutah-Onukagha is also the President and Founder of Amaka Consulting and Evaluation Services, LLC, a minority and women-owned public health research and evaluation firm. Dr. Amutah-Onukagha received her Master of Public Health from The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services before completing her Ph.D. in Public Health at the University of Maryland. She also completed the Kellogg Health Scholars postdoctoral fellowship with an emphasis on community-based participatory research and health disparities. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/1590523898066-46SICQCVSESGDZ1R22HN/Renee-Boynton-Jarrett-1000.jpg Meet Our Team Dr. Renée Boynton-Jarrett Renée Boynton-Jarrett is a practicing primary care pediatrician at Boston Medical Center, a social epidemiologist, and the founding director of the Vital Village Community Engagement Network. Through the Vital Village Network, she is supporting the development of community-based strategies to promote child well-being in three Boston neighborhoods. She joined the faculty at Boston University School of Medicine in 2007 and is currently an Associate Professor of Pediatrics. She received her AB from Princeton University, her MD from the Yale School of Medicine, her ScD in Social Epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health, and completed residency in Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Her work focuses on the role of early-life adversities as life course social determinants of health. She has a specific interest in the intersection of community violence, intimate partner violence, and child abuse and neglect, and neighborhood characteristics that influence these patterns. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/8c69c9ca-1a85-4e8f-9232-15be0e7b8477/IMG_0515+%282%29.jpg Meet Our Team - Make it stand out Shenell Ford, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and Childbirth Educator Apprentice, is the founder of community- based lactation practice, Heart2Heartbeat Lactation & Wellness in Springfield, MA, with a vision to create an environment that equitably serves prenatal and lactating families, encouraging autonomy in infant feeding and providing comprehensive and community-centered perinatal advocacy, education, and support. Her greatest joy are her sons, Jeyceir and Jezari. Shenell humbly serves as Mayoral Aide in Springfield, MA, Parent Educator at Baystate Health, and as Co-Chair of the Springfield DHHS Maternal Child Health Commission. She is a former WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor and Certified Lactation Counselor, and became an IBCLC in January 2019, a Certified Perinatal Educator in 2022, and is on the path to Childbirth Educator certification. She also currently serves on the Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition Board of Directors and the Boston Black Breastfeeding Week Committee, and as a member of the US Breastfeeding Committee CRASH and Awards Committees. Shenell continues to lead birth and breastfeeding advocacy efforts in Springfield, including annual celebrations of Black Maternal Health Week, National Breastfeeding Month, and Black Breastfeeding Week, in collaboration with many commUNITY partners. She was recognized by MassLive in June 2023 as one of Massachusetts' Emerging Black Leaders and as a recipient of the 2024 SDHHS Commissioners Award. Shenell is an inspired and fiercely passionate advocate who is committed to increasing the diversity of and equitable access to childbirth & lactation support in her community and beyond. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/f8c4fa46-95ae-457c-a450-29d321c3ba5f/IMG_1033.jpg Meet Our Team Rev. Barbara Ann Groover Rev. Barbara Ann Groover is a native of Sparta, GA. When Barbara was seven years old, she moved to Brooklyn, New York. Growing up in Brooklyn, Barbara attended New York City public schools and graduated from Bushwick High School. She continued her education by attending the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she concentrated in Textile Design. In addition, she matriculated at Bernard Baruch College in New York, where she majored in Marketing and earned her B.S. in Business Administration. Barbara received her Master of Divinity from Andover Newton Theological School. Her professional career involved working in several women’s apparel companies in the New York Fashion Industry. During her time as a showroom account executive, she participated in styling, merchandising, and direct sales. This career afforded her the opportunity to travel extensively throughout the country and abroad. Barbara is currently the Head Manager for one of the stores for GAP, Inc., a multinational clothing store. Rev. Barbara was mentored and influenced by her grandmother, Rosa Lawrence, who taught her to love Methodism. The foundation of her Christian experience occurred at People’s Institutional A.M.E. Church in Brooklyn, where she served as Y.P.D. President, Sunday school teacher, choir member, usher, Pastor’s Aid, President, Senior Steward, and Church Clerk. While she fulfilled her many responsibilities as the first lady of Bright Temple A.M.E. Church in the Bronx, Barbara served as chairperson for the New York Conference WMS Affiliated Groups and Ecumenical Relations, and president of the A.M.E. Ministers’ Wives and Widows of New York and Vicinity. In 1993, she represented the Connectional WMS at the First National Consultation of Young Women, sponsored by the Church Women United. During her membership at Bright Temple, she received her call into the ministry. She began her ministerial studies in the New York Annual Conference and was ordained an Itinerant Deacon at the New England Annual Conference by Bishop Philip R. Cousin, Sr.. Among her many sermons was a Mother’s Day sermon in 1994, A Flight Without a Fight, which was written about in Jonathan Kozol’s bestseller, Amazing Grace. At present, she serves as Minister to Women and Families at the Historic Charles Street A.M.E. Church in Boston. In addition, she has served as a board member for Boston Aging Concerns, The Hyams Foundation Black Church Capacity Building Program, and board chairperson of the Mothers Mentor Project. Rev. Barbara is married to the Rev. Dr. Gregory G. Groover, Sr., pastor of the Historic Charles Street A.M.E. Church. She and her husband share two adult children who are professional musicians, daughter Gerami-Greer and son Gregory, Jr. (G-Man). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/6da6edf8-030f-4be1-91f3-d95d0675bf60/Screen+Shot+2022-07-26+at+9.22.18+PM.png Meet Our Team Dr. Favorite Iradukunda Dr. Iradukunda is a Licensed Registered Nurse and Assistant Professor at UMASS-Amherst in the College of Nursing. Her research focuses on fostering health during pregnancy and motherhood among Black immigrant women navigating the intersection of home and host cultures, while reinforcing protective cultural practices and supporting the development of community-based, culturally appropriate interventions for health maintenance. Through her advocacy work addressing inequities in our healthcare system, Dr. Iradukunda hopes that educating a new generation of nurses will allow her to address several troubling trends in healthcare: a lack of representation and cultural understanding in treatment. She is invested in practicing cultural humility in care and in developing diverse programs that educate nurses of color to better represent the population we serve. Dr. Iradukunda received her Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She holds a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Cape Town and a BSN from the University of Rwanda. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5ec9763f4215f5026a66f967/37e6fb9b-27f7-4f78-9ba8-ec166a5b38c9/2025-2026+Headshot+%281%29.jpg Meet Our Team Dr. Jallicia Jolly Dr. Jallicia Jolly is a writer and reproductive justice organizer and an Assistant Professor of American Studies and Black Studies at Amherst College. A 2025 National Academy of Sciences U.S. Kavli Fellow, she merges community-based research on Black women's health, grassroots activism, and transnational political leadership with reproductive justice organizing and practice in the United States and the Caribbean. Dr. Jolly is the founder and director of the Black Feminist Reproductive Justice, Equity, and HIV/AIDS Activism (BREHA) Collective—an interdisciplinary, medical humanities lab that bridges research, advocacy, student collaborations, and high-impact learning experiences on the health and movement-building of Afro-diasporic girls, women, and gender diverse people. A 2022-2023 Ford Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Jolly’s first book manuscript, Ill Erotics: Black Caribbean Women and Self-Making in the Time of HIV/AIDS (University of California Press, forthcoming), is an ethnography of the reproductive justice organizing of young Black Jamaican women living and loving with HIV that chronicles their everyday confrontations with illness, reproductive violence, and inequality in neocolonial Jamaica. Dr. Jolly leads with justice and joy as her core intention while centering new legacies of equity, community-building, and holistic wellness. A public scholar invested in research-informed political action, Dr. Jolly is Co-Chair of Birth Equity and Justice Massachusetts (BEJMA) - a multisectoral reproductive justice group that brings together clinicians, researchers, community organizations, advocates, legislators, and stakeholders to advocate for policy and evidence-based interventions to improve outcomes for Black birthing people and advance equity in maternal health policy. She has written for and had her work featured in various media outlets, including Forbes, The Washington Post, USA Today, The Boston Globe, and Huffington Post. Her work has also been awarded recognition and supported by grants/fellowships such as The Fulbright Scholar Program, The Mellon Mays Foundation, National Women's Studies Association, Yale University’s Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS (CIRA) and LGBT Studies, and Brown University’s Pembroke Center for Teaching and Research on Women. Dr. Jolly earned her B.A. from Williams College in 2014 and her Master’s and Ph.D. in American Studies from the University of Michigan in 2016 and 2020. https://bejma.org/news daily 0.75 2023-08-10 https://bejma.org/black-lives-matter daily 0.75 2022-09-23