Black Home Birth Initiative Board
Britt Jackson, CPM, LM
She/her
Founder, BHBI Provider
Britt Jackson, CPM, LM is a Certified Professional Midwife and Licensed Midwife serving families in the Twin Cities, MN. As a baby midwife opening a new practice in the Twin Cities, Britt was in the unique position of having experienced the plight of being a Black birthing person seeking safe, holistic care and experiencing the struggle of being a Black midwife trying to survive in a system that wasn’t built for us. The BHBI was her response - a grassroots organization that increased access to midwifery care for Black families while increasing sustainability for Black midwives. Since it’s founding, the BHBI has grown from a grassroots community fund to a multi-program 501c3 non-profit organization.
Britt’s lens of community midwifery has always been rooted in activism, healing justice, and equity - to her, the two are synonymous. Britt believes that community midwifery is the birth right of Black birthing people, and believes that our collective healing and liberation resides in community and a reclaiming of our roots and healing traditions. Her vision for the BHBI is more Black home births, more Black midwives, and to care for families from a place of love, trust, empowerment, autonomy, whole-being wellness, community, and in celebration of Blackness.
Marz Lovejoy
She/her
Marz Lovejoy was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, raised in San Diego and Santa Monica, California and became the woman she is now after many years of grinding in New York. Marz comes from both a nonprofit and creative background and fuses community focused initiatives with the arts. Her latest projects include: Her annual “…And Still We Ride…” bike ride out, celebrating Black women. The live streaming of her son's birth raised awareness and funds for Black Maternal Health organizations.
Marz has had all of her children at home, with midwives and doulas, so she understands the importance and impact of full spectrum birth workers.
With a far reaching audience and a lens for equity, justice, and focus on Black plight, Marz's message that small acts matter packs a profound ripple affect that can be measured by the success of her campaigns.
Marz currently resides in Saint Paul with her 3 children, working as the Curator at Large for Alvaro Barrington’s Studio, Emelda based in London. She plans to become a midwife in the next 5-7 years.
Nadine Ashby
They/them
Nadine is a Black, queer, trans, neurodivergent, full spectrum birthworker, Community Perinatal Educator, and body worker. They were raised attending births with their mom, who was a trusted non-medical community member to many. Nadine has earned a degree in Biology, studied anatomy and physiology, nutrition, and is a student of African American spiritual traditions. They are also a lactation educator, ACTT Advocacy Facilitator and mother of two.
Nadine joined the Black Home Birth Initiative board because they believe we all deserve to learn and grow without having to fight for respect, support, and loving spaces. In addition to their role as a BHBI board member, they are the Founder of The Birth Revolution, a Black-led, Trans-led birth worker training and consulting organization that centers Black, Indigenous, and Trans folx. They are also a Community Educator and Program Director with Seeds Worth Sowing, a local Black led nonprofit in the Twin Cities.
Sasha Bariffe, CPM, LM, IBCLC
She/they
Sasha is a dedicated midwife and lactation consultant with an unwavering commitment to providing culturally affirming and compassionate care to individuals during their childbearing years.
Fueled by her passion to improve birth outcomes in America for Black and Indigenous people, Sasha's "why" has always been to ensure everyone, regardless of gender, race, socioeconomic status, or body size, has access to affirming care. She recognizes that racism and unchecked biases contribute to the worst birth outcomes in the nation for these groups, and her work is committed to changing this.
Sasha's work with the BHBI is grounded in her belief that all people, regardless of their background, deserve to feel valued and heard when it comes to their healthcare needs. Her mission is to continue to provide compassionate, personalized care to individuals and families throughout their childbearing years.
During Sasha’s free time she can be found tending to her indoor and outdoor gardens, creating digital art or spending time with her two dimple cheeked children, loving partner and jumbo-sized dog.
Evelyn Yaeggy, TM
She/her
Evelyn Yaeggy was born in Guatemala and is a traditional midwife who is bilingual (English/Spanish). Midwifery and birth has been in her blood and heart since early childhood - she had the privilege of watching her grandma work as a lay midwife in a small town called Mazatenango, Guatemala. She had had the honor of serving about 400 families as a birth worker over the span of 16 years. She worked as a community doula and prenatal educator before starting midwifery training, and currently teaches parenting classes for incarcerated fathers in the Ramsey County Jail, and it is also a passion of her to support our communities in all kinds of settings.
Evelyn joins the BHBI board as a member of the birth worker community who is deeply invested in improving outcomes for the most marginalized in our communities, and in increasing access to respectful, empowering care for families of color.