THE POLITICS AND CREATIVE PRACTICE OF CAREGIVING

At Black Her Stories (BHS), our mission is to celebrate the creative power of Black women throughout history and in modern times.

This October, BHS is teaming up with Vital Voices to host an evening of conversations, community, and creativity for mothers, maternal figures, and caregivers.

Our live storytelling event features a fireside chat with Dr. Ashley Robertson Preston, Author, Historian, and Associate Professor at Howard University, and Briana Greene, Director of Operations at Mamatoto Village, a nonprofit organization focused on Black maternal health.

Together, we’ll dive into how the historical and modern caregiving practices of Black women shape communities and influence political movements. We’ll also discuss maternal health and well-being practices that support the mind, body, and spirit.

After the discussion, it’s time to mix, mingle, and get creative! Participants will join together to reimagine what well-being for caregivers looks like through a collective collage vision board activity.

• Childcare and light refreshments will be provided to ensure a supportive and nourishing environment for all attendees.

Don't miss out on this event or the rest of our Chocolate City Tour!

We’ve organized a plethora of community events that spread love all over DC! Join us throughout the to celebrate Black culture, cuisine, creativity, and care. 

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Michaela Ayers is a multi-disciplinary artist and Art Historian who blends creative practices into her facilitation work. With over 8 years of experience delivering training and events to diverse audiences, Michaela is a spirited storyteller dedicated to shaping an empowered narrative that celebrates Black women.

Entrepreneurial in nature, Michaela Ayers (she/her) is also the Founder and Principal of Nourish, a creative consulting agency that advances the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion through art, education, and events.

Briana Green serves as the Director of Operations at Mamatoto Village, a nonprofit organization focused on Black maternal health in Washington, DC. She transitioned into birth work after working as a corporate attorney at a large law firm. Briana felt a strong desire to support Black pregnant women in her community after her own experiences birthing her two daughters, aiming to offer the education and support she wished she had during her pregnancies and births. In 2015, she underwent training at Mamatoto Village to become a Perinatal Community Health Worker.

Following her training, Briana worked in this capacity, providing prenatal education, social support, labor support, and postpartum education and support to more than 200 families over a period of just over three years. In 2019, she shifted to an administrative role as Director of Operations, blending her corporate background with her passion for supporting Black birthing individuals in the District of Columbia and Prince George's County, MD. Briana is an alumna of Spelman College in Atlanta, GA, and Howard University School of Law in Washington, DC.

Dr. Ashley Robertson Preston is an author, curator, and Assistant Professor of History at Howard University. Her past positions include serving as director of the Mary McLeod Bethune Foundation-National Historic Landmark at Bethune-Cookman University while she also was an archives technician for the National Archives for Black Women’s History at the Mary McLeod Bethune Council House-National Historic Site. She is the author of Mary McLeod Bethune in Florida: Bringing Social Justice to the Sunshine State which examines how the educator rose to prominence while fighting for equality at the height or racial unrest in the state. Dr. Preston’s second book Mary McLeod Bethune the Pan-Africanist examines the international activism of Bethune and her travels abroad. She has published articles in the Journal of Negro Education, Journal of Black Studies and Phylon. Dr. Preston's research interests focus on the activism of Black women during the early twentieth century and the ways in which they uplifted their communities, created institutions, and stood against systemic racism.

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