Birth Equity Leadership Awards
Recognizing the People Moving Birth Equity Forward
Join Altruism, Inc. for the Birth Equity Leadership Awards (BELA) Ceremony, an evening that honors funders, advocates, community leaders, and journalists who expose inequities and advance birth equity.
WHEN
WHERE
4801 Rockhill Rd, Kansas City, MO 64110
THE 2026 HONOREES
BELA Ceremony Honorees
REACH Healthcare Foundation
Health Forward Foundation
St. Luke's Health System
University Health
NurtureKC
KC Doula Program
Stoddard Family Counseling Center
FOX 4 Kansas City
Mariah Chrans, Ph.D.
Community Health Council of WyCo
Dr. Sharla Smith
Kansas Birth Equity Network
Shalese Clay
Uzazi Village
Janelle Harvey-Jordan
Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center
NaTisha Smith
Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center
EXPERIENCE THE EVENING
Art, Stories, and Recognition
See the Art
Experience original digital art exploring pregnancy, birth, postpartum life, and the realities of birth inequity. Find something you love, you can purchase it!
Hear the Stories
Listen to real birth experiences from women who felt unheard, dismissed, unsupported, or uncertain about their care.
Celebrate the Work
Help us honor the leaders and organizations using funding, advocacy, community and healthcare leadership, and journalism to confront inequities and push birth equity forward.
Select pieces from Altruism’s birth equity collection will also be woven into the evening as another creative expression of the message.
THE CASE FOR THIS WORK
Why This Recognition Matters
These numbers are not about biology. They reflect racism, bias, delayed care, and systems that too often fail to listen when Black women say something is wrong.
Black women in Missouri die from pregnancy-related causes at least 2.5 times the rate of white women.
%
In Missouri, 80% of pregnancy-related deaths reviewed from 2018–2022 were determined to be preventable.
%
In Kansas, the rate of severe maternal complications among Black women was 78.8% higher than among white women from 2019–2023.
Birth equity asks us to believe women, respect their knowledge of their own bodies, and build systems in which every mother and baby has a fair chance to thrive.
Join Us
Come celebrate the honorees, experience the art, hear the stories, and join a conversation grounded in truth, accountability, and love.
Birth equity deserves people willing to listen, speak honestly, challenge racism, and create something better.
Thursday
Oct. 29, 2026
5 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.
Light bites and cocktails will be available.
Please RSVP by Oct. 9, 2026.
The Kauffman Foundation Conference Center
4801 Rockhill Rd.
Kansas City, MO 64110
Can't Join Us?
You can still support Altruism’s birth-equity work.
Your donation helps Altruism, Inc. provide doula support, education, guidance, and whole-person care during pregnancy and postpartum.