The Courage in Care Exhibit Launch

Tue, Apr 29 @ 3PM
Newark ArtSpace & Vermella Broad Street
355 Broad Street, Newark, NJ

Please join community doulas, health and social care providers and leaders, arts organizations and civic leaders as we celebrate the opening reception for the exhibit: The Courage in Care: Community Doulas and the Revolutionary Joy of Birth. Registration is non-transferable and may only be used by the registered attendee.

This special afternoon will feature:

• Time to experience The Courage in Care exhibit
• Panelists and speakers include:
  • Newark First Lady Linda Baraka
  • Lisa Asare (President & CEO, New Jersey Maternal and Infant Health Innovation Authority)
  • Michelle Gabriel-Caldwell (CEO, Baby, Please!)
  • Jennie Joseph (CEO, Commonsense Childbirth)
  • Juwana Montgomery (Assistant Director, South Ward Happy Beginnings)
  • Chanel Portia-Albert (Founder, Ancient Song)
  • Romney Smith (Reporter, NBC New York)
  • Darrel K. Terry (CEO, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center)
• A poetry performance
• Light refreshments to enjoy

Community doulas are trusted, culturally rooted birth workers who provide emotional, physical, and informational support to mothers throughout pregnancy, birth, and the early postpartum period. Grounded in the communities they serve, they play a vital role in improving outcomes for parents and babies, particularly in communities impacted by systemic inequities. The Courage in Care highlights the essential role that community doulas play in maternal and infant health and emphasizes the urgent need for better support and recognition within the healthcare system.

Through photojournalism, audio storytelling, and immersive environments, the exhibit explores abundance, community, joy and justice — grounded in the lived experiences of New Jersey doulas and the families they serve.

The Courage in Care was developed by Narrative Initiative, the Burke Foundation, and In Good Company in collaboration with New Jersey community members and a statewide advisory council of community doulas and maternal health leaders.

The exhibit and associated community events are produced by NJPAC Arts & Well-Being and supported by the Burke Foundation, Ascend at the Aspen Institute, MERCK for Mothers, Community Health Acceleration Partnership, Turrell Fund, MCJ Amelior Foundation, and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.