Jennie Joseph, a pioneering British-trained midwife and global maternal health advocate, has made history as the first Black woman in the United States to own and operate a nationally accredited midwifery school.
Her achievement is being celebrated nationwide as a powerful step forward in the movement for equitable and culturally competent maternal healthcare.
Driven by the alarming disparities facing Black women in the U.S. healthcare system—where they are often ignored, dismissed, and disproportionately at risk—Joseph created the school to offer something different: a space that centers care, dignity, and results.
“Too many Black women are put at risk in the healthcare system,” she has said. “So I built my own space to do better.”
The school is part of Commonsense Childbirth Inc., Joseph’s nonprofit organization, and is rooted in The JJ Way®, her groundbreaking maternal care model.
This common-sense, empathetic approach has improved birth outcomes for thousands of women and babies by focusing on access, education, and empowerment.
Joseph has earned global recognition for her tireless advocacy and innovative work in maternal and newborn health. She is frequently invited to speak internationally and is regarded as one of the world’s leading voices on safe and healthy births. Her mission has always been clear: put women and babies first—ahead of bureaucracy, profit, and outdated systems.
“She identifies systemic, historical, and institutional causes to our current challenges and leaves the audience inspired and committed to making a difference,” noted the Women in Leadership Showcase.
Since moving to the U.S. in 1989, Joseph has been a force for change. Her midwifery school not only trains the next generation of birth professionals—it stands as a lasting beacon of hope, justice, and possibility.
In a country where Black women are nearly three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women, Jennie Joseph’s historic accomplishment is both a celebration and a call to action for a better, safer future for all mothers.
