Jennie Joseph

Joseph studied midwifery in the United Kingdom, her home country.{{Cite web |date=2022-03-03 |title=Jennie Joseph Wants to Fix the Black Maternal Mortality Crisis One Midwife at a Time |url=https://time.com/collection/women-of-the-year/6150545/jennie-joseph/ |access-date=2024-02-24 |website=Time |language=en}} In 1989, she moved to Orlando, Florida, following her partner.{{Cite web |date=2017-11-27 |title=Expecting US mothers use doctors, not midwives, unlike other rich countries |url=https://qz.com/1119699/how-racial-segregation-led-childbirth-in-america-to-be-over-medicalized |access-date=2024-02-24 |website=Quartz |language=en}} Once in the United States, she realized that she had fewer career prospects, due to a lack of knowledge about what midwives do in the country and regulations in the field. Joseph advocated for regulations preventing certified professional midwives (CPM) from practicing. In 1995, she opened a midwifery school.

In 2009, she created the Common-sense Childbirth School of Midwifery, hoping to support women without access to Ob-gyns, who go to the emergency room when in labor. Commonsense Childbirth Inc. operates health clinics and a birthing center, as well as the school. Joseph formulated the maternity-care model The JJ Way, an evidence-based model aimed at reducing birthing disparities. The model aims to help Black women and other marginalized people be safe and empowered within the maternity health systems.{{Cite web |title=FLORIDA MIDWIFE JENNIE JOSEPH NAMED TO TIME’S INAUGURAL WOMEN OF THE YEAR LIST |url=https://blackprwire.com/press-releases/florida-midwife-jennie-joseph-named-to-time-s-inaugural-women-of-the-year-list |access-date=2024-02-24 |website=Black PR Wire, Inc. |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Pérrez |first=Miriam Zoila |date=February 14, 2018 |title=Making Pregnancy Safer for Women of Color |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/14/opinion/pregnancy-safer-women-color.html |work=The New York Times}} Joseph created the term "materno-toxic" to describe the ways the life-threatening impact birthing disparities have on marginalized mothers.{{Cite web |last=Joseph |first=Jennie |date=2019-04-11 |title=Black Maternal Health: When the Village Itself May Be Too Toxic |url=https://www.theroot.com/black-maternal-health-when-the-village-itself-may-be-t-1833949141 |access-date=2024-02-24 |website=The Root |language=en}} Her methods have seen success, with almost all of her patients– most of whom are in groups that face birthing disparities– giving birth to healthy, full-term babies. An evaluation by the West Orange Health Care District found that her patients had significantly lower rates of pre-term birth and low-infant birth weights. It also found that her patients of African descent were almost 40 percent less likely than their national equivalent to have pre-term labor or low-infant birth weights.

In 2020, the Common-sense Childbirth School of Midwifery was accredited by the Midwifery Education Accreditation Council, making her the first Black woman in the United States to privately own a nationally accredited midwifery school.

Joseph also founded the National Perinatal Task Force, a grassroots organization working to eliminate racial disparities in American maternal-child health. She also founded The Council of Midwifery Elders. She is on the Advisory Council for the Congressional Black Maternal Health Caucus and a Fellow of the Aspen Institute.

Joseph is an honorary member of Zeta Phi Beta sorority; she was inducted on July 27, 2024 at the sorority's Boulé in Indianapolis, Indiana.[https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zeta-phi-beta-sorority-incorporated-announces-newest-class-of-honorary-members-302208069.html Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated Announces Newest Class of Honorary Members]

• 2022: Time (magazine) Woman of the Year
• Zeta Phi Beta Honorary Member{{Cite web |last=watchtheyard |date=2023-09-20 |title=Jennifer Joseph, Founder of the First Black-Owned Licensed Midwifery School in The US, Joins Zeta Phi Beta as Honorary Member |url=https://www.watchtheyard.com/zetas/jennifer-joseph-zeta-phi-beta-honorary-member/ |access-date=2024-02-24 |website=Watch The Yard |language=en-US}}

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Category:Living people

Category:Midwives

Category:American midwives

Category:British midwives

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)