WEBINAR: The Killing of the Black Body: Honouring the Sacred, Confronting the System

Learning Objectives 

• Are you a doula, educator, or birthworker seeking to understand how systemic racism continues to shape reproductive health today?
• Do you want to unpack the historical control of Black women’s bodies and its connection to modern obstetric violence and inequities?
• Would you like to learn how to advocate for Black birthing people with both cultural sensitivity and systemic awareness?

Workshop Description

In this 90-minute webinar, Lisa Felecia Westerman, BSW, Full Spectrum Doula, Educator, and founder of Shades Doula Services, invites birthworkers into a deeply reflective and educational exploration of how history continues to inform present-day reproductive care.

Drawing from the foundational work of Dorothy Roberts, Dána-Ain Davis, and Loretta Ross, this session examines the historical and ongoing control of Black women’s bodies from the era of enslavement and forced sterilization to present-day disparities in maternal health outcomes.

 Participants will:

• Trace the roots of reproductive injustice through a historical and cultural lens
• Identify how medical racism continues to manifest in care settings
• Learn strategies for creating culturally safe, dignity-centered support for Black clients
• Explore advocacy approaches that honour the sacredness of Black life and body sovereignty
• Engage in guided reflection on bias, embodiment, and accountability in birthwork

This is an invitation to witness, unlearn, and rebuild together toward collective care and reproductive liberation.

Who is it for?

This webinar is for doulas, birthworkers, midwives, educators, and students who wish to deepen their understanding of the intersections between race, history, and reproductive justice, and who are committed to providing care that is culturally safe, anti-oppressive, and rooted in community advocacy.

Details: This virtual webinar takes place on June 16, 2026 at 12pm EST.

Bio

Lisa Felecia Westerman, BSW, is a Full Spectrum Doula and Educator based in Vancouver, BC, and the founder of Shades Doula Services, a practice dedicated to culturally safe, trauma-informed care for Black, Indigenous, and racialized families. Her work honours ancestral wisdom, collective healing, and culturally responsive education.

This webinar is free to members and alumni of Doula School, Discover Birth, and The Nesting Place and is $35 for external participants. Participants will receive a certificate of attendance that can be used as 1 CEU (continuing education units) at Doula School.