By Catherine Hinrichsen, Communications Specialist for Communities of Opportunity. Originally published on the Communities of Opportunity blog.
A recap of the recent Black Providers Network gathering
Jazmin Williams called herself “a professional try-er. I’ll try anything!” She was describing the energy that led her to found BLKBRY, the local Black-led and operated reproductive justice organization, in 2019.
Jazmin is one of several Black health care leaders who talked about new approaches to health care and policy at the recent gathering of the Black Providers Network in King County.
Joining Jazmin were colleagues Jackie Vaughn of SURGE Reproductive Justice and Jimmy Brown and Najmah Messiah of Build 2 Lead. These innovators focused on some of the ways Black community-based organizations are improving health care for Black people in King County and even nationwide.
That focus on improving Black community health is the reason behind the Black Providers Network and their quarterly gatherings. At the Tukwila Community Center on February 14, about 70 members came together in person and virtually to network, learn, share, enjoy a tasty lunch, and build community.
The group has been meeting since March 2023 and has grown to more than 300 members.
Devon Love, who leads the Black Community Equity Team at Public Health – Seattle & King County, organizes the Network. Devon said while her team convenes the space, “this meeting is really built upon interest from and guided by Black Providers Network members and the broader community. We strive to reflect and uplift the Black community in these gatherings.”
The 2025 first quarter Black Providers Network was “robust and information filled,” Devon felt. And, a community member who has been involved since the Network’s inception shared with her, “This was one of the most important and informative meetings I’ve attended in a long time.”
This joyful celebration of Black History Month started with networking time – an always-popular opportunity to see friends and meet new colleagues. Folks shared a meal together, then settled in for the presentations and announcements.
BLKBRY Is “Unapologetically and Explicitly Serving Black People and Families”
BLKBRY is a Black-owned and operated reproductive justice organization serving Black people and families. Founder Jazmin Williams described BLKBRY’s many resources for families, including free doula services and a community milk sharing program. She previewed their two-day reproductive justice workshop, “Pass The Yams,” featuring national reproductive justice movement leader and policy strategist Raven Freeborn. BLKBRY is also a member of Doulas For All Coalition (see below), so they’re co-celebrating that win too.
“We want our partnerships and relationships to be mutually beneficial,” Jazmin said.
Read more about BLKBRY in this story from The Seattle Medium. Converge Media recently published an online video news story about “Pass The Yams.” You can also check out BLKBRY’s many workshops and other events at their website.
SURGE and Doulas For All Win a Victory for Black Maternal Health
SURGE Reproductive Justice organizes communities to build a world where all people can make powerful, self-determined choices for their bodies and the future of their families and communities. They facilitate the Doulas For All Coalition.
The coalition recently won an important policy change in Washington state after years of advocacy. Jackie Vaughn, SURGE’s executive director, explained that birth doula services are now eligible for Medicaid reimbursement in our state for the first time.
What’s even better: “The flex of our organizing is that we have the highest rate of reimbursement for doulas in the country, because we led a community-directed policy process rooted in anti-racist strategies,” Jackie said. Part of their work involved changing Washington state policy so that birth doulas could be designated as a profession. This was a crucial step in securing the Medicaid reimbursement.
Policy change like this takes coalition building and a lot of determination. Jackie said part of her work is thinking about “How do we de-mystify the policy making process for our community so they can lead in unity in making new strategies that reflect them.“
Read more about the Doulas win in this Seattle Times story.
Build 2 Lead Wants to Transform the Health Care System for Black People
Build 2 Lead, founded in 2020, is dedicated to creating P.O.W.E.R.* for Black and Brown youth, their families, and communities across Washington state. Build 2 Lead founder Jimmy Brown and P.O.W.E.R. Council Executive Council member Najmah Messiah described some of their recent achievements and shared new research for the first time.
*What P.O.W.E.R. Means: Prosperity. Opportunity. Wellness. Empowerment. Resilience.
Among other work, Build 2 Lead has been gathering feedback from Black people about their experiences with the health care system, through a series of listening circles. Drawing upon those experiences, Build 2 Lead has published a new report about what they learned, intended to influence health policy. It’s called Wellness Initiative: Lessons from Community Voices.
This was Build 2 Lead’s first time publicly sharing the findings from their research. One of the findings: Only 31% of participants felt that the health care workforce adequately reflects the communities it serves. Participants emphasized the importance of recruiting and retaining diverse healthcare providers to improve culturally resonant care and trust between providers and patients.
To help bridge that gap and increase the number of Black health care professionals, Build 2 Lead works to connect young Black people with careers in the health care field. On February 27, they hosted their third annual Melanin and Medicine conference for high school students in Federal Way.
Build 2 Lead is recruiting new members for the P.O.W.E.R. Council, Najmah said. Learn more and apply!
“Our focus is to listen and learn,” Jimmy said.
In addition to their leadership in health care, a common thread for these three organizations – BLKBRY, Build 2 Lead, and SURGE Reproductive Justice – is that they are all funded partners of Communities of Opportunity (COO). COO’s mission is to strategically invest in community power. It was founded in 2014 as a partnership between King County, the Seattle Foundation, and the community.
You can find all the presentations on the Black Providers Network web page in the February 2025 Meeting Materials section.
Black Providers Network Gathers Again in May
The next gathering of the Black Providers Network is scheduled for May 9. It too will feature Black leaders highlighting important health care work in the community, plus plenty of networking time and a meal.
To learn more about the Black Providers Network and the next quarterly gathering, please contact Devon Love, 206-263-7901.
Mark Your Calendar
The Black Community Equity Team is hosting the annual “Every Month is Black History Month” event in partnership with the Northwest African American Museum, Saturday, April 12, 10:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. This free community health & resource fair offers free museum admission, food, vaccine and health screening services, health insurance and ORCA Lift enrollment, FREE mammograms, and FREE car seats, plus much more. To make appointments for mammograms and car seats, call 1-800-756-5437.
Originally published 3.26.25