2025 California Black Birth Equity Summit

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Event Information
2025 California Black Birth Equity Summit
October 20 – 21, 2025 (Monday – Tuesday)
DoubleTree by Hilton Sacramento
Sacramento, California
United States

Due Date: May 12, 2025

The 2025 California Black Birth Equity Summit will be held October 20– 21, 2025 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Sacramento in Sacramento, CA. The Call for Proposals will close on May 12, 2025 at 6pm PST. The deadline will NOT be extended! Presenters will be notified of their acceptance status in early June 2025.

All presenters must register for the conference and pay the discounted speaker rate of $200 in order to present at the 2025 California Black Birth Equity Summit. In addition, presenters are responsible for their own travel and accommodations for the Summit and will be responsible for bringing a laptop to the conference.

2025 Summit Theme: Rooted in Action

The California Black Birth Equity Summit (the Summit) is one of the largest gatherings in California dedicated to advancing Black birth equity and justice. Each Summit brings together hundreds of birth equity leaders, policy and government officials, public health professionals, philanthropists, clinicians, midwives, birthworkers, and advocates. The hybrid convening (in-person and virtual) will feature expert keynote speakers, interactive concurrent sessions, strategic planning, meaningful dialogue, wellness and networking opportunities. A multidisciplinary committee of birth equity leaders from across the state plan and convene the Summit with Kudumu Partnerships for Equity and Justice, the California Coalition for Black Birth Justice, and the UCSF Center for Birth Justice (formerly the UCSF California Preterm Birth Initiative) serving as the backbone organizations.

The 2025 Summit theme of Rooted in Action reaffirms calls for collaboration, accountability, and tangible strategies to transform systems and policies to prioritize healthy and thriving Black families. Purposeful actions are needed to propel impactful change. The theme also honors the long history of activism and partnerships to advance Black birth equity and justice in California from midwife Biddy Mason to the establishment of the Black Infant Health Program and the implementation of the California Momnibus Act (SB 65). The Summit will be held in the California capital of Sacramento to engage policymakers and advance policies to improve Black maternal health.

Now more than ever, coordinated and bold action is needed to address the inequitable treatment, experiences, and outcomes of Black birthing families in California. The 2025 Summit will highlight promising policies, innovative solutions, cross-sector collaborations, community-led strategies, and rest and restoration practices to accelerate birth equity and justice. Summit participants will leave inspired and equipped with actionable tools to support healthy and thriving Black families.


Summit Objectives:
● Amplify Black-led solutions to advance birth equity and justice in California
● Provide critical statewide updates on policies and programs impacting Black families
● Build attendee capacity to implement programs, policies, and care solutions for Black families
● Share actionable strategies to advance birth equity and justice
● Disseminate research and innovations to improve Black maternal health
● Compile program and policy recommendations that support healthy and thriving Black families
● Deepen collaboration and partnerships among stakeholders invested in Black birth equity
● Create space for community, healing, wellness, and joy

The California Black Birth Equity Summit centers the unique needs and assets of Black birthing families in California. Previous Summit topics have included:
● Community activation and power-sharing
● Lactation support and human milk access for Black families
● Improving hospital and community partnerships and collaboration
● Medi-Cal doula benefit
● Philanthropy and Black birth equity
● Hospital quality improvement
● Fatherhood initiatives
● Midwifery care
● Mentorship and workforce development
● Reproductive justice and birth equity
● Healing for Black birthworkers and health professionals

The tracks for the 2025 California Black Birth Equity Summit are:
● Policy and Systems Change
● Clinical/Healthcare Innovations
● Research, Data, and Storytelling
● Community Engagement, Coalition Building, and Allyship
● Workforce Development and Capacity Building
● Wellness and Creativity

Who attendees the California Black Birth Equity Summit

The Summit is for stakeholders invested in improving perinatal health for Black birthing families and eliminating racial inequities in maternal health. By attending and presenting at the Summit, you contribute directly to reshaping unjust systems and creating healthier, thriving futures for Black mamas, parents, and families.

The intended audience includes perinatal health clinicians, nurses, midwives, public health professionals, advocacy experts, health care leaders, community-based organizations, doulas, birthworkers, mental health professionals, health plans, philanthropists, professional organizations, researchers, lactation professionals, community advocates, students, and Black families.

Guidelines and Expectations for Proposal Submitters

The California Black Birth Equity Summit centers the assets and unique needs of Black birthing families in California. Birth equity policies, programs, and practices must be in partnership with Black families and Black birth equity leaders. Decades of research have confirmed that anti-Black racism, not race, is the root cause of racial inequities in maternal outcomes. Efforts to advance birth equity must address unjust systems that disproportionately impact Black families. When health outcomes improve for those who experience the worst outcomes, everyone benefits. Summit organizers strive to create a convening that fosters collaboration, community, imagination, learning, listening, discussion, and reflection. The Summit welcomes proposals that propose meaningful engagement with Black families, address system inequities, inspire action, highlight successful programs and practices, amplify innovation and creativity, and deliver real impact.

Your voice, ideas, and expertise can help transform systems, policies, and practice. All stakeholders with lived experience, who envision healthy Black futures, and/or working to advance Black birth equity are encouraged to submit proposals to present at the 2025 California Black Birth Equity Summit. Summit organizers will also consider proposals from other states highlighting projects and lessons learned that are relevant to California.

Summit organizers estimate it takes 1-2 hours to pull together submission content and 30-60 minutes to fill out the forms for the actual submission. Therefore, please plan ahead for the due date of April 30, 2025 at 6:00 PM PST.

Submission Type Descriptions (see below):

Skills Building Sessions - 90 minutes in length:

Skills-building sessions teach the participant new skills, methods, and tools that they can apply to their work. Sessions must be interactive, with at least 50% of time dedicated to planned interactive activities to teach skills and demonstrate how participants apply the skills to their work.

Seminars-90 minutes in length:

Seminars are in depth presentations by experts and may include a panel of presenters. The session will include audience interaction and have at least 15 minutes for Questions & Answers (Q&A).

Workshops-90 minutes in length:

Workshops are structured interactive sessions that may involve strategic planning and brainstorms to create roadmaps for policies, programs, and/or services. At least 50% of the session is interactive and requires active audience participation.

Wellness/Creativity Session-60 minutes in length:

Wellness/Creativity Sessions are interactive sessions that promote rest and restoration, self-care, healing, wellness, and joy for participants. Session topics may include: movement, chair yoga, sound bath, journaling, arts and crafts, and other modalities.

Call For Proposals will close on May 12, 2025. The deadline will NOT be extended!