About the Event
Equity in Every Birth is a conversation on Black maternal health at the New York State Association of Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic & Asian Legislators 53rd Annual Legislative Conference in Albany, NY. This panel brings together medical experts, researchers, health system leaders, and frontline practitioners to discuss best practices and policy prescriptions to improve outcomes for Black maternal physical and mental well-being.
Speaker Bios
Attorney General Letitia James (Special Guest)
New York State Attorney General
Letitia “Tish” James is the 67th Attorney General for the state of New York. With decades of experience and a long record of achievements, she is a powerful, effective attorney and lifelong public servant. When she was elected in 2018, she became the first woman of color to hold statewide office in New York and the first woman to be elected Attorney General.
In her first term, Attorney General James focused on protecting vulnerable New York residents and ensuring that individuals or companies that broke state laws were held accountable. She secured more than $7.5 billion for New York from those who broke state laws and took advantage of New Yorkers, including more than $2.5 billion from opioid manufacturers and distributors for their roles in the opioid epidemic. Under her leadership, the Office of the New York State Attorney General helped remove more than 4,000 guns from New York communities, took down dozens of dangerous drug and gun trafficking rings throughout the state, and took legal action to stop the proliferation of ghost guns.
Attorney General James took on predatory landlords who harassed tenants and endangered children by violating New York’s lead paint laws. She protected New Yorkers’ health and the state’s natural resources by going after polluters and companies that flouted environmental protection laws. Attorney General James stood up for vulnerable populations by going all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court to stop a question about citizenship from being added to the census and successfully protecting DACA.
She has been a national leader in the fight to defend access to reproductive health care, leading dozens of legal actions across the country to protect and expand access to this lifesaving care. Attorney General James also stood up against corruption and took strong action against officials who broke New York laws or workplace protection measures, regardless of their status or political affiliation.
Before serving as Attorney General, Letitia James was the public advocate for the City of New York. When she was elected in 2013, she became the first woman of color to hold citywide office. During her tenure as public advocate, her office passed more legislation than all previous public advocates combined, including a groundbreaking law that banned questions about salary history from the employment process to address the pervasive gender wage gap. Prior to serving as public advocate, Letitia James represented the 35th Council District in Brooklyn in the New York City Council for 10 years. As a council member, she passed the Safe Housing Act, legislation that forced landlords to improve living conditions for tenants in New York City’s worst buildings. Before her election to the City Council, Letitia James was head of the Brooklyn Regional Office of the New York State Attorney General’s Office.
Letitia James began her career as a public defender at the Legal Aid Society. A proud Brooklynite, she is a graduate of Lehman College and Howard University School of Law.
Rosemonde Pierre-Louis (Opening Remarks)
Executive Director, NYU McSilver Institute
Rosemonde Pierre-Louis is Executive Director of the NYU McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research, where she leads a team of scholars, clinicians, researchers, policy experts and other professionals who are committed to creating new knowledge about the root causes of poverty, developing evidence-based interventions to address its consequences, and rapidly translating their findings into action through policy and best practices.
A highly-recognized public sector leader, Rosemonde is known for driving social and economic change. She has dedicated her career to helping the most vulnerable receive access to justice, services, and support. Rosemonde previously served as Chief Operating Officer at the McSilver Institute, and she was the host of season two of the McSilver Institute podcast, Black Boys and Men: Changing The Narrative.
From 2014-2016 Rosemonde served as Senior Adviser to the NYC Commission on Gender Equity. Previously, she served as Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence. From 2006-2013 Rosemonde served as Manhattan Deputy Borough President. Prior to this, she held leadership positions at public interest and community development organizations such as Sanctuary for Families, Network for Women Services, and Harlem Legal Services. She co-founded and currently chairs the Haitian Roundtable, which is dedicated to redefining the narrative about Haiti and recognizing excellence in the Haitian community. She is the Founder of the Frederick Douglass Boulevard Alliance, serves on the Advisors Council of Eleanor’s Legacy, and is an Executive Board Member of the Committee for Ranked Choice Voting NYC. In 2022, the MTA appointed her to a blue ribbon “Fareness” panel to address fare evasion.
Panelists
Damali M. Wilson, PhD, APRN (Moderator)
Project Director, NYU McSilver Institute
Dr. Wilson is a social scientist with an extensive background in research and programming focused on child and family health and well-being. Her research foci include parenting, maternal health and mental health, as well as early childhood development. Damali has a particular interest in service to vulnerable, marginalized populations, and community-informed approaches.
Prior to joining the McSilver Institute, Damali worked at the Child Health Advocacy Institute at Children’s National Hospital, where she led a capacity building initiative to expand perinatal and early childhood programming, policy research, and family leadership. In addition to being a researcher, Dr. Wilson is a certified pediatric nurse practitioner of over 10 years.
Helena A. Grant MS, CNM, LM, CICP, FACNM
President NY Midwives, Senior Advisor Midwifery Initiatives, Co-Chair NYC Maternal Mortality Committee
Helena A. Grant is a Certified Nurse Midwife that has cared for and empowered the lives of women, birthing people, and families for over 25 years and has had thousands of new souls birthed and born – never delivered – into her hands, in hospital and birth center settings in NYC. Helena is President of New York Midwives, a Fellow of the American College of Nurse Midwives, Co-Chair of the Brooklyn Borough President’s Maternal Health Taskforce, and the inaugural Senior Advisor of Midwifery Initiatives at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, the first midwifery position of its kind in the United States of America.
As the past Director of Midwifery at NYC Health and Hospitals Woodhull Medical Center’s Obstetric and Gynecological service, Helena integrated an ingrained and respected midwifery model, caring for birthing people independent of most clinical risk statuses with physician and nursing collaboration, resulting in one of the lowest cesarean birth and highest vaginal birth after cesarean rates in NYS.
As a sought-after presenter and panelist for her ability to apply a historical, ethnographic, and epigenetic lens to synergize current clinical realities, Helena has participated in many community, local, city, state, and national committees, councils, task forces, panels, podcasts, films, news articles, and books to uplift the desperate need to decrease maternal mortality and morbidity and return childbirth to a rite of passage that is safe, satisfying and sacred, for all humans, especially for Black women. Helena is the Midwifery herstorian in the nationwide documentary film, Aftershock.
Helena has received many awards for her work and dedication, most recently in 2023, receiving a Citation from the Brooklyn Borough President, being named in Crain’s New York Business as a Notable Leader in Healthcare, and being presented with the Koko Roy award for contributing to Midwifery and Women’s Health by NYU Rory Meyers midwifery program. In 2022, the American College of Nurse Midwives awarded Helena the Distinguished Service Award.
Jade Kearney
Co-Founder and CEO, She Matters
Jade Kearney founded She Matters after her battle with postpartum anxiety and depression. Through her challenges with family and navigating the healthcare system, she quickly realized that Black mamas’ interactions within the Black community and the healthcare system negates our mental health.
She is determined to make cultural competency a priority in the maternal mental healthcare space and change the cultural stigma around mental health for Black women by providing a community where Black mamas feel both seen and heard.
Sophia Lubin, DO, FACOG
Obstetrician/Gynecologist and Attending Physician, Symphony Medical and Host of the Dr. Sophia, ObGyn Podcast
Dr. Sophia Lubin is a board-certified ObGyn for over 15 years in her native New York City area. She currently practices at Symphony Medical providing a wide range of services, including routine obstetrical and gynecologic care, as well as surgical interventions.
Being a women’s health and well-being enthusiast, she spreads her knowledge and care through her podcast “Dr. Sophia, Obgyn” where she helps women learn about their bodies and embrace themselves. Dr. Sophia is also a committed humanitarian who has provided medical and ObGyn relief efforts in the Caribbean.
Natasha J. Williams, EdD, MPH
Associate Professor, Department of Population Health at NYU Langone Health
Dr. Williams is a social and behavioral research scientist with training in social work, health promotion and health education, as well as an Assistant Professor with expertise in behavioral sleep medicine, community-engaged research, and health equity. She served as Chair of the Sleep Special Interest Group for the Society of Behavioral Medicine and since 2018 has served as Chair of the Scientific Research Committee for the Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine. Dr. Williams has over 60 publications in peer-reviewed journals including the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, Annals of Behavioral Medicine, and Sleep Health. Yale University, Howard University, Columbia University, and the National Institutes of Health are some of the institutions who invited her to speak about sleep health and community-engaged research among historically underserved populations.
She recently completed an NHLBI-funded K23 Career Award to evaluate the barriers and facilitators of adherence to treatment among U.S. Black and White adults duly diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea and insomnia. An MPI of two NIH Rapid Acceleration and Diagnostics for Underserved Populations studies to address disparities related to COVID-19, she is also a member of the NIH Community Engagement Alliance Inclusive Participation Work Group. Since 2019, Dr. Williams has served as the Graduate Advisor for the Vilcek Institute of Graduate Biomedical Sciences PhD program in Population Health.
Sponsoring Elected Officials
Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte
New York State Assembly
Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn represents the 42nd Assembly District in Brooklyn encompassing Ditmas Park, Flatbush, East Flatbush and Midwood.
She is currently the New York State Assembly Majority Whip, Chair of the Subcommittee on Oversight of Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs) and serves on the following committees: Housing, Education, Governmental Operations, Health, Higher Education, and Ways & Means. She also sits on Governor Kathy Hochul’s Domestic Violence Advisory Council and Mayor Eric Adams’ MWBE Task Force. She is the first Haitian American woman elected in New York City.
Since Assemblymember Bichotte Hermelyn became a legislator in 2015, she has introduced over 200 pieces of Legislation, 34 of which became law, and has co-sponsored over 250 others. As an Assemblymember and District Leader, Assemblymember Bichotte Hermelyn has been an outspoken and ardent advocate on issues concerning her Assembly District and all New Yorkers, including immigration, education, economic development, unemployment, education reform, healthcare access, senior citizen centers, affordable housing, school safety and women’s and LGBTQ rights, as well as other issues affecting the quality of life in the community.
As a new mother to a healthy baby boy, who previously lost a son in 2016 after being turned away from a hospital in a high-risk situation, Bichotte Hermelyn is committed to ending the maternal healthcare crisis and addressing maternal mortality disparities disproportionately affecting Black and minority women. The Assemblymember sponsored the Jonah Bichotte Cowan Law (named after her late son), which establishes requirements for treatment when a mother comes to a hospital with concerns about being in preterm labor. She is currently sponsoring/co-sponsoring several bills to ensure all women receive the high-quality maternal health care they deserve, including Mickie’s Law (A10659) which would ensure mothers who encounter fetal death get the treatment that they need to remove the dead fetus, especially in the event of an emergency.
She earned an MBA from Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management, an MS in Electrical Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology, a BS in Electrical Engineering from SUNY Buffalo, a BS in Mathematics in Secondary Education, and a BT in Electrical Engineering both from Buffalo State College. She is an alum of the famed performing arts school, Laguardia School of Music and Performing Arts. She is attending Brooklyn Law School as a juris doctorate candidate and is expected to receive her law degree in 2024.
Assemblywoman Michaelle C. Solages
New York State Assembly
Michaelle C. Solages, a fifth-term legislator, is a lifelong resident of Elmont. Assemblywoman Solages represents the communities of Valley Stream, North Valley Stream, Elmont, South Valley Stream, South Floral Park, Floral Park, the Village of Bellerose, Bellerose Terrace, North Woodmere, Stewart Manor, and sections of Franklin Square.
Michaelle was elected to represent the Twenty-second Assembly District in 2012 and is the first person of Haitian descent to be elected into the New York State Legislature. She currently serves as the Assembly Deputy Majority Leader as well as Chair of The New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus. Through her work, she strives to ensure that all people are treated with dignity and protected equally under the law throughout New York State.
Michaelle has continued to advocate for Nassau County’s middle class and small businesses by fighting for property tax relief, equitable state funding of schools, and increased public transportation services on Long Island. Michaelle is also nationally recognized as a leading advocate in improving access to quality childcare, implementing a universal pre-k framework in Long Island, and establishing innovative ways to invest in families with young children across the age spectrum from birth to kindergarten. Michaelle resides in Elmont with her family and her dog.
Senator Samra G. Brouk
New York State Senate
Senator Samra G. Brouk has the privilege of representing the residents of New York’s 55th District, which includes portions of Monroe County, including: East and West Irondequoit, Webster, Penfield, Perinton, Fairport, Pittsford, East Rochester & the eastern portion of the City of Rochester.
Senator Brouk serves as Chair of the Senate Mental Health Committee and is working to revolutionize New York State’s mental health and substance abuse crisis response so that those in need receive compassionate, therapeutic care. In her first term, the Senator passed legislation to create a 9-8-8 substance abuse and mental health crisis lifeline, improve maternal mental health screenings, and maintain diagnostic authority for thousands of mental health practitioners. She has also passed Budgets that invest in our mental health workforce, delivering the first COLAs (Cost of Living Adjustment) in over a decade.
Senator Brouk is focused on supporting our families. She is working to improve the racially disparate maternal health outcomes in our community and state, and sponsors legislation to make it easier to access the emotional, physical and informational support provided by birth doulas. The Senator has also delivered the largest aid increase ever to our schools, securing over a billion dollars of school aid for SD-55. She is helping hardworking families get ahead: fighting proposed energy rate hikes; making state government more transparent, accessible and accountable; and ensuring that our communities have the resources to safely sustain and enrich our families from before birth to old age.
Senator Brouk was born and raised in the City of Rochester and surrounding suburbs before earning her B.A. in Psychology at Williams College. Before her election to the Senate, Senator Brouk’s dedication to public service led her to join the United States Peace Corps, working as a health educator in rural Guatemala. And as a leader in non-profit community development, she spent a decade building educational, environmental, and senior services initiatives in her own community and across New York State.
Senator Lea Webb
New York State Senate
As a former Binghamton City Councilmember, Webb has addressed critical issues that families face. From removing blighted properties and supporting their redevelopment into homes for her community to addressing food desert issues by establishing community gardens, Webb has improved the lives of those she serves. She has passed legislation supporting equal pay for women, creating a city-based human rights commission, establishing a city-wide climate action plan, and supporting small business development and job creation. Webb understands the importance of expanding opportunities for civic engagement and has served as a trainer and advocate to increase marginalized voices in elected office.
A lifelong Southern Tier NY resident and proud graduate of public school, Webb is a first generation graduate of SUNY Broome, where she earned a degree in liberal arts and sciences, and Binghamton University, where she earned a degree in neuroscience. Lea was an educator at Binghamton University, where she developed diversity and inclusion training and programs for faculty, staff, and students to advance its goals of fostering diversity and respect. She is a national trainer with Vote Run Lead, training thousands of women across the country on how to run for elected office. She is a Co-Chair/Co-Founder of the Black Millennial Political Convention and a Founding Board Member of Local Progress. Lea was honored with the President’s Award by the Broome-Tioga Branch of the NAACP for her significant contributions to her community
Lead Sponsors
NYU McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research
The McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research at New York University (NYU McSilver) is committed to creating new knowledge about the root causes of poverty, developing evidence-based interventions to address its consequences, and rapidly translating research findings into action through policy and best practices.
Institute for Excellence in Health Equity at NYU Langone Health
NYU Langone Health’s Institute for Excellence in Health Equity (IEHE) is guided by a mission to achieve excellence in health equity research, clinical care, and medical education. IEHE strives to become the leader in the development, implementation, and dissemination of evidence-based solutions to advance excellence in health equity, and to be a renowned magnet for talent.
The Office of New York State Attorney General Letitia James
As head of the Department of Law, the Attorney General is both the People’s Lawyer and the state’s chief legal officer. The Attorney General serves as the guardian of the legal rights of the people of New York, its organizations, and its natural resources. As the state’s chief legal counsel, the Attorney General advises the executive branch of state government, and defends actions and proceedings on behalf of the state.
Greater New York Chapter of The Links, Incorporated
The Greater New York Chapter of The Links, Incorporated (GNY Links) is a chapter of nearly 70 dynamic women leaders of New York City dedicated to enriching the lives of women and girls of color. Since its chartering in 1949, the Greater New York Chapter has demonstrated a rich history of serving the needs of our community through local and global programming, events, and direct service. Together with its program partners, GNY Links strives to serve the community with excellence and impact.