See Me Hear Me Conversation Event at the Midlands Arts Centre

Early February hosted the second See Me Hear Me Conversation event

‘it was nothing short of incredible! The energy in the room was amazing, and the discussions were both powerful and insightful. This event marked the official launch of the Seven Principles of Community-led Research for the Black perinatal community, developed in our SMHM report.

A huge thank you to my team for making it all possible – you all were phenomenal! Special shoutouts to Clarice Rodney and Gbemisola Adebunmi for spearheading the event, and a big thanks to Carly Bond, Natasha Subi, and @Myah Mayers for your continued support.

Our guest speakers were absolutely inspiring, and the engagement from our audience was fantastic. We were also joined by some very special guests – the babies in arms with their mothers from our groups, reminding us of the importance of this work.
Acknowledging Black Excellence in the Room ✨
We were honoured to hear from:

💫Professor Patrick Vernon OBE FrHistS, Chair of the ICS in NHS Birmingham and Solihull, who has been a champion of our campaign from the start. His keynote speech set the tone for the event, and his plenary remarks pushed us to continue striving for the change we all want to see.

💫Dr Tamanda Walker Walker, who shared her insights from working alongside myself and the MACs on data analysis, emphasizing the power of humanising data.

💫The Maternity Ambassadors for Change (MACs) – the voices behind the data. They shared how community-led research and data analysis can be empowering and affirming. It was an emotional moment to reconnect with some of the original MACs, including Chantelle Pemberton, Natasha Subi, and Amaka Asiodu. And to those not with us on the day – @Abiodun Adewuyi, @Amina Ibrahim, @Ava Clarke, Chloe Agbe, Keiya Robinson, @Mareme Mokwufu, your contributions continue to shape our journey.

💫Fungai Ndemera, The Tech Entrepreneur, offered a fresh perspective on tackling health inequalities through technology, urging us as Black women to think critically about how we engage with algorithms to ensure our voices are heard.

💫Sandra Griffiths and @Sarah Hamad at Black Thrive led a powerful discussion on Black-led systems change, health equity, and leadership. They reminded us that to tackle health disparities, we must be brave enough to name the issues and lead with hope.

As the founder and CEO of Maternity Engagement Action CIC I wanted to ensure the space was both safe and nurturing, encouraging open dialogue about new ways of working and how we, as individuals within larger systems, can drive meaningful change.

Our SMHM report is live! Please take the time to read and share it widely. If you reference it in your work, don’t forget to cite us. ‘

Originally posted o the Maternity Engagement Action CIC Linkedin page.

🔗 Read the report here https://lnkd.in/eRZMCUCa