Policy & Advocacy Roundtable + Reclaiming Black Midwifery
Saturday, April 11, 2026
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Pellissippi State Community College: Magnolia Avenue Campus (1610 E Magnolia Ave., Knoxville, TN 37917)
What to Expect
This one-day event is designed to advance Black maternal health equity in Knoxville by combining historical education, community dialogue, and direct engagement with policymakers.
The Policy & Advocacy Roundtable + Reclaiming Black Midwifery brings together maternal health leaders, birth workers, public officials, and community members to examine the systemic factors influencing maternal and infant outcomes and to explore actionable solutions.
The event begins with a formal presentation on “Reclaiming Black Midwifery,” highlighting the historical role of Black midwives, the cultural and community- based traditions that have supported birthing families for generations, and the barriers that continue to limit access to midwifery education and practice today. This presentation aims to strengthen community understanding, uplift traditional birth knowledge, and emphasize the importance of restoring midwifery pathways as a strategy to improve maternal health outcomes.
Following the presentation, participants will engage in an open, facilitated discussion with policymakers and maternal health leaders. This roundtable will focus on policy gaps, resource challenges, and opportunities to expand culturally attuned, community-centered maternity care. Attendees will explore local and statewide policy priorities, discuss structural barriers affecting families and providers, and collaborate on strategies to advance equitable, evidence-based maternal health policy.
Venue: Pellissippi State Community College: Magnolia Avenue Campus (1610 E Magnolia Ave., Knoxville, TN 37917)
Meet Our Facilitators
Brittany Cox
Brittany Cox, PhD | Assistant Commissioner of the Division of Health Disparities Elimination
Brittany Cox, PhD, currently serves as the Assistant Commissioner of the Division of Health Disparities Elimination with the Tennessee Department of Health. Her division focuses on Minority Health, Rural Health, and Faith-Based and Community engagement with a mission to engage and connect underserved populations to care, services, and resources to drive the elimination of health disparities in Tennessee.
Dr. Cox has dedicated a decade of public health service with TDH at the local and regional level. She served as the Assistant Regional Director of TDH’s Mid-Cumberland Region and has been the Public Health County Director for Wilson, Trousdale, and Cheatham counties and served as the first Mid-Cumberland Regional Office’s Assessment and Planning Coordinator in 2015.
Amariee Collins
Amariee Collins | Radicle Midwifery
Amariee Collins is a holistic birth worker and founder of Radicle Midwifery, a practice rooted in reproductive justice, ancestral knowledge, and client-led care. She is dedicated to providing culturally affirming trauma-informed support that centers the autonomy, wisdom, and lived experiences of Black birthing people.
Through offerings that blend traditional midwifery, education, herbal support, and community-based advocacy, Amariee champions accessible, radical, and relationship-driven care. Her work reflects a commitment to restoring trust in birth, uplifting community wellness, and reclaiming the legacies of Black midwives.
Alexis Alsup
Alexis Alsup | Empowered Doula Services
Alexis Alsup is the founder of Empowered Doula Services, where she provides compassionate, client-centered support to families throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum.
Guided by a commitment to empowerment, education, and advocacy, she helps birthing people make informed decisions and experience care that honors their autonomy and well-being. Her work reflects a passion for strengthening families, building confidence in birth, and expanding access to equitable, culturally responsive doula and midwifery support.
About Our Venue
Pellissippi State’s Magnolia Avenue Campus opened in 2000 in the former Knoxville Catholic High School in east Knoxville. We usually educate about 600 students each semester at this campus who study in a variety of concentrations. The Magnolia Avenue Campus is easily accessible by car or public transportation – or even by foot for residents of downtown Knoxville and surrounding areas.
Reserve Your Seat!
This event is completely free to attend. We simply ask for you to RSVP!