Events
Birth Equity Summit 2024
September 20, 2024
9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Children’s Mercy Park
1 Sporting Way, Kansas City, KS 66111
Join us on September 20th at 9:00 a.m. for the third annual Birth Equity Summit in collaboration with the Heartland Conference!
Attendees will enjoy an incredible keynote speech, a panel discussion on Birth Equity Across Communities, community research and resources presentations, and speed mentoring sessions with Dr. Alicia Thomas. Attending the Birth Equity Summit is free and lunch will be provided!
Before the Birth Equity Summit begins, we’ll gather for our annual Birth Justice Walk! Join us at 7:00 a.m. on the beautiful Children’s Mercy Park Pitch Apron for the walk and an inspiring call-to-action.
Find everything you need to know about the Birth Equity Summit here: https://linktr.ee/kbenbirthequitysummit
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Alicia Thomas
Founder, Indigo Strategic Health Advisors LLC
Former Associate Director, Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Award Program
Black Baby Photo Contest
The Black Baby Photo Contest is back again!
Enter your little one in the contest by Friday, August 30th for the chance to win an awesome prize!
Prizes
- 1st Place Prize: $100 Gift Card & featured as KBEN Baby of the Year
- 2nd Place Prize: $50 Gift Card & featured in KBEN advertisements
Plus, the first 10 babies to enter the contest will receive a $25 gift card.
Submission Guidelines:
- One entry per child
- Required age: Between birth & 2 years old
Submission Dealine: August 30, 2024
View Black Baby Contest Flyer (PNG)
Black Infant Mortality Awareness Walk
Join Uzazi Village for the 10th annual Black Infant Mortality Awareness Walk on Saturday, September 21st at 8 a.m.
Upcoming Events
Date | Time | Event | Location |
---|---|---|---|
Aug 8 | 5:30p.m. | KBEN Network Meeting | Zoom Meeting |
Sep 5 | 5:30 p.m. | KBEN Network Meeting | Zoom Meeting |
Sep 20 | 7:00 a.m. | Birth Justice Walk |
Children’s Mercy Park Pitch Apron – 1 Sporting Way, Kansas City, KS 66111 |
Sep 20 | 9:00 a.m. | Birth Equity Summit |
Children’s Mercy Park Pitch Apron – 1 Sporting Way, Kansas City, KS 66111 |
Black Maternal Health Week 2024
On April 13th, 2024, over 120 attendees joined us at Centering Black Mental Health: A Conversation on Mental Health & Parenting! We want to thank each attendee, sponsor, speaker, partner, vendor, and KBEN family member for helping us bring together this amazing event. We say it every year and we mean it every year - we could not do this work without YOU!”
Birth Equity Summit 2023
The second annual Birth Equity Summit in collaboration with the Heartland Conference was held September 15-16, 2023. Stakeholders across the state and region together to celebrate the important work of parents, birth workers, community members, and so many more to advance birth equity.
Day 1 highlighted community efforts to improve the health of Black Families and Day 2 events were set to celebrate Black Families at the KBEN Family Reunion/Cookout.
Healthy, Thriving, Black Families: A Conversation on Black Maternal Health
Black Maternal Health Week 2023
More than 150 attendees joined us at Healthy, Thriving, Black Families: A Conversation on Black Maternal Health and Birth Equity! We want to extend our appreciation to every single attendee, vendor, speaker, community partner, legislator, planner, and KBEN member that helped us make this event so amazing. We couldn't have done it without you!
Each of you are essential in the work to achieve Birth Equity and improve Black maternal and infant health. We hope you'll join us again for the Birth Equity Summit in September and for next year's Black Maternal Health Week Event!
Birth Equity Summit 2022
The first annual Birth Equity Summit began with the Birth Justice Walk, followed by a keynote address by Dr. Dana-Ain Davis on Black Reproducing Bodies and the Trauma of Obstetric Racism. The summit also included presentations by Mother Hakima Tafunzi-Payne on the important work of Uzazi Village, Kevin Dedner on Mental Health Experiences form the Father’s Perspective, and Dr. Sharla Smith on Hypertension and Preeclampsia. The summit concluded with a Moms/Birthing Persons & Fatherhood Panel with parents from across the state and a Healing & Restoration Closing Session.
Black Baby Photo Contest Winners
Celebrate Day 366 (2022)
Celebrate Day 366 (2021)
Celebrate Day 366 Panels & Community Birthday Party - 2021 video