BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//ChamberMaster//Event Calendar 2.0//EN METHOD:PUBLISH X-PUBLISHED-TTL:P1H REFRESH-INTERVAL:P1H CALSCALE:GREGORIAN BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Chicago BEGIN:DAYLIGHT RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=3;BYDAY=2SU DTSTART:20070101T000000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:Central Daylight Time END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=11;BYDAY=1SU DTSTART:20070101T000000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:Central Standard Time END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260801T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260801T140000 X-MICROSOFT-CDO-ALLDAYEVENT:FALSE SUMMARY:Memorializing Black Midwives of the River Parishes DESCRIPTION:Mural Dedication & Community Celebration Join Common Ground USA and Inclusive Louisiana for a special community celebration honoring and memorializing the profound legacy of the Black midwives who served the River Parishes for generations. This meaningful event will center around the dedication of a new commemorative mural on the exterior of Inclusive Louisiana's Village Hub building. The mural has been beautifully brought to life by Malaika Favorite\, a renowned local artist recently celebrated for her commissioned work on the Tiana's Bayou Adventure attraction at Disney. In addition to hearing from the mural artist herself\, the event will feature voices from the community\, including descendants of these pioneering midwives\, to provide historical narrative and storytelling\, and to help memorialize vital pieces of regional history. Programming begins at 11:30AM. Guests are invited to stay\, connect\, and enjoy fish plates and sweets by local caterer Bea's Pies and More. Refreshments will be served throughout. Come out to honor our history\, uplift our community\, and celebrate the enduring spirit of the River Parishes midwives!\nPRESS RELEASEMedia Contact: RoseAngel Taylor roseangel@theprocessstudio.comRiver Parishes Midwives Memorial Mural to Be Dedicated on Inclusive Louisiana's Village Hub in Convent\, LouisianaCommon Ground USA and local volunteers invite the public to the free dedication event on August 1st\, highlighting a permanent memorial honoring the Black midwives who served the River Parishes for generations.RIVER PARISHES\, LA (July 2026) Common Ground USA's Greater New Orleans Collective Memory Project will dedicate the new River Parishes Midwives Memorial Mural on Inclusive Louisiana's Village Hub with a free community celebration event on Saturday\, August 1\, 2026\, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in Convent\, Louisiana. The event is open to the public\, with a special invitation extended to the River Parishes community and to anyone with a personal connection or interest in the history of the region's Black midwives.The River Parishes Midwives Memorial Mural is part of the Greater New Orleans Collective Memory Project (2025 2026)\, an initiative of Common Ground USA\, supporting teams of local volunteers across the Greater New Orleans region in creating memorialization projects that honor untold\, overlooked\, or misreported historical events\, people\, and places. The project's objectives are to demonstrate knowledge of the region's history\, surface hidden or incorrectly told stories\, execute a memorialization grounded in that history\, and bring the community together through a public unveiling ceremony.The mural\, painted on the exterior wall of the Village Hub by Louisiana artist Malaika Favorite\, honors generations of skilled Black midwives who provided maternal care throughout the South from the arrival of their enslaved ancestors well into the 20th century. In the River Parishes\, these midwives crossed the Mississippi River\, walked long distances without transportation\, and drew on both medical training and deep knowledge of indigenous plants and folk healing traditions to serve families who otherwise had little or no access to care from segregated hospitals and white physicians.As licensing restrictions grew increasingly discriminatory through the 20th century\, many midwives continued to practice in defiance of those barriers because their communities needed and trusted them.Created by Favorite\, the mural was developed in collaboration with the volunteers of Common Grounds's yearlong Greater New Orleans Collective Memory Project\, Inclusive Louisiana leadership\, and community stakeholders."I was born on River Road in Geismar\, delivered by a local midwife\, just like my older brother before me\," said Favorite. "This project is personal to me in the deepest way it's a chance to give back to the women who gave so much to families like mine. Every brushstroke on this wall is an act of gratitude."Favorite's commissioned work includes large-scale murals for the entrance to Tiana's Bayou Adventure at both Walt Disney World (Orlando\, Florida) and Disneyland (Anaheim\, California)\, the Children's Museum of Indianapolis (Indiana)\, the West Baton Rouge Museum (Louisiana)\, St. Gabriel Medical Center (California)\, and the River Road African American Museum's Episcopal Church of Ascension in Donaldsonville\, Louisiana.About the Host SiteThe Inclusive Louisiana Village Hub\, founded in 2023 by Gail LeBoeuf and Barbara Washington\, serves as a trusted gathering space for residents\, organizers\, youth\, and visiting partners across St. James Parish and the surrounding River Parishes. Inclusive Louisiana is a non-profit organization that works to protect all residents from industrial pollution and preserve the region's cultural heritage."The midwives who served this region understood that real care for our community comes from within it\, something we still fight for today\, for everyone\," said Gail LeBoeuf\, Co-Founder of Inclusive Louisiana. "This mural will stand as a reminder that the spirit of care\, healing\, and resilience they carried is still alive in the work we do here every day."The decision to memorialize the midwives grew out of recognition of how their work physically and culturally connected communities across the River Parishes. They crossed the Mississippi River\, crossed parish lines\, and crossed generations through a shared tradition of community care. Locating the mural at the Inclusive Louisiana Village Hub reflects that same spirit: the Village Hub serves today as a gathering place for environmental justice\, youth education\, and cultural preservation\, continuing a legacy of community care that the midwives embodied decades earlier.As part of the project\, a memory book containing photographs and archival information about identified midwives will be placed inside the Village Hub\, where visitors will be invited to add their own memories and family stories an ongoing\, living complement to the mural itself."When I think about the midwives who walked these roads before us\, I think about strength\, faith\, and love for community\," said Barbara Washington\, Co-Founder of Inclusive Louisiana. "To have their story honored right here at the Village Hub\, where we continue that same work of caring for our whole community all races and ethnicities means everything.""This mural is as much about honoring the past as it is about restoring a piece of history that was nearly lost\," said Alexander Trapps-Chabala\, historian\, genealogist and volunteer project manager of the five-member River Parishes Midwives Memorial Mural project cohort. "The midwives of the River Parishes crossed every obstacle put in front of them to care for this community. Our work has been to trace their names\, their families\, and their legacy\, and to make sure they're remembered not as a footnote\, but as the foundation they truly were."Event DetailsDate: Saturday\, August 1\, 2026Time: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.Location: Inclusive Louisiana Village Hub\, 8111 Romeville St.\, Convent\, LA.The dedication will include a 45-minute community program featuring remarks from Favorite\, the leaders of Inclusive Louisiana\, and descendants of midwives in the River Parishes. Theprogram will be followed by community fellowship through 2:00 p.m.\, with a traditional fish fry and sweets by Bea's Pies and More\, and refreshments served throughout. Free registration available at: https://events.humanitix.com/midwives.# # #About Common Ground USA and The Greater New Orleans Collective Memory ProjectCommon Ground USA (CG-USA) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to programs and efforts that invest in a self-sustaining\, peaceful\, and inclusive United States. As part of a global movement\, its mission is to empower leaders\, bridge deep partisan and cultural divides\, and build resilient\, self-sustaining communities where all voices are heard and valued. Common Ground's Greater New Orleans Collective Memory Project (2025 2026) supports teams of local volunteers across the Greater New Orleans region in creating memorialization projects honoring untold\, overlooked\, or misreported historical events\, people\, and places. For more information\, visit https://www.cg-usa.org/About Inclusive LouisianaFormed in 2020\, Inclusive Louisiana is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the residents of St. James Parish and neighboring parishes from environmental harm caused by industrial pollution. A grassroots community advocate organization with deep beliefs in the Christian Faith\, Inclusive Louisiana leaders are passionate about the injustices seen imposed every day on their community's health\, air\, water\, and soil. For more information\, visit https://inclusivelouisiana.org/About Malaika FavoriteMalaika Favorite is a Louisiana-based professional artist who works in a variety of styles and media\, depending on the nature and purpose of the work. A 1967 graduate of East Ascension Senior High School\, she earned her MFA in painting and drawing from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Her goal as an artist is to present a dialogue between the viewer and the work of art\, revealing a new dimension upon each visit. Favorite's works can be found in several notable collections\, including Absolut Vodka\, The Morris Museum of Art (Augusta\, Georgia)\, The Alexandria Museum of Art (Alexandria\, Louisiana)\, The Coca Cola Company (Atlanta\, Georgia)\, and The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center (Cincinnati\, Ohio). For more information\, visit: https://malaikafavorite.artspan.com/home X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Mural Dedication &\; Community Celebration Join Common Ground USA and Inclusive Louisiana for a special community celebration honoring and memorializing the profound legacy of the Black midwives who served the River Parishes for generations. This meaningful event will center around the dedication of a new commemorative mural on the exterior of Inclusive Louisiana'\;s Village Hub building. The mural has been beautifully brought to life by Malaika Favorite\, a renowned local artist recently celebrated for her commissioned work on the Tiana&rsquo\;s Bayou Adventure attraction at Disney. In addition to hearing from the mural artist herself\, the event will feature voices from the community\, including descendants of these pioneering midwives\, to provide historical narrative and storytelling\, and to help memorialize vital pieces of regional history. Programming begins at 11:30AM. Guests are invited to stay\, connect\, and enjoy fish plates and sweets by local caterer Bea&rsquo\;s Pies and More. Refreshments will be served throughout. Come out to honor our history\, uplift our community\, and celebrate the enduring spirit of the River Parishes midwives!


PRESS RELEASE

Media Contact: RoseAngel Taylor roseangel@theprocessstudio.com

River Parishes Midwives Memorial Mural to Be Dedicated on Inclusive Louisiana'\;s Village Hub in Convent\, Louisiana

Common Ground USA and local volunteers invite the public to the free dedication event on August 1st\, highlighting a permanent memorial honoring the Black midwives who served the River Parishes for generations.

RIVER PARISHES\, LA (July 2026) &mdash\; Common Ground USA&rsquo\;s Greater New Orleans Collective Memory Project will dedicate the new River Parishes Midwives Memorial Mural on Inclusive Louisiana&rsquo\;s Village Hub with a free community celebration event on Saturday\, August 1\, 2026\, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in Convent\, Louisiana. The event is open to the public\, with a special invitation extended to the River Parishes community and to anyone with a personal connection or interest in the history of the region&rsquo\;s Black midwives.

The River Parishes Midwives Memorial Mural is part of the Greater New Orleans Collective Memory Project (2025&ndash\;2026)\, an initiative of Common Ground USA\, supporting teams of local volunteers across the Greater New Orleans region in creating memorialization projects that honor untold\, overlooked\, or misreported historical events\, people\, and places. The project&rsquo\;s objectives are to demonstrate knowledge of the region&rsquo\;s history\, surface hidden or incorrectly told stories\, execute a memorialization grounded in that history\, and bring the community together through a public unveiling ceremony.

The mural\, painted on the exterior wall of the Village Hub by Louisiana artist Malaika Favorite\, honors generations of skilled Black midwives who provided maternal care throughout the South from the arrival of their enslaved ancestors well into the 20th century. In the River Parishes\, these midwives crossed the Mississippi River\, walked long distances without transportation\, and drew on both medical training and deep knowledge of indigenous plants and folk healing traditions to serve families who otherwise had little or no access to care from segregated hospitals and white physicians.

As licensing restrictions grew increasingly discriminatory through the 20th century\, many midwives continued to practice in defiance of those barriers because their communities needed and trusted them.

Created by Favorite\, the mural was developed in collaboration with the volunteers of Common Grounds&rsquo\;s yearlong Greater New Orleans Collective Memory Project\, Inclusive Louisiana leadership\, and community stakeholders.

&ldquo\;I was born on River Road in Geismar\, delivered by a local midwife\, just like my older brother before me\,&rdquo\; said Favorite. &ldquo\;This project is personal to me in the deepest way &mdash\; it&rsquo\;s a chance to give back to the women who gave so much to families like mine. Every brushstroke on this wall is an act of gratitude.&rdquo\;

Favorite&rsquo\;s commissioned work includes large-scale murals for the entrance to Tiana&rsquo\;s Bayou Adventure at both Walt Disney World (Orlando\, Florida) and Disneyland (Anaheim\, California)\, the Children&rsquo\;s Museum of Indianapolis (Indiana)\, the West Baton Rouge Museum (Louisiana)\, St. Gabriel Medical Center (California)\, and the River Road African American Museum&rsquo\;s Episcopal Church of Ascension in Donaldsonville\, Louisiana.

About the Host Site

The Inclusive Louisiana Village Hub\, founded in 2023 by Gail LeBoeuf and Barbara Washington\, serves as a trusted gathering space for residents\, organizers\, youth\, and visiting partners across St. James Parish and the surrounding River Parishes. Inclusive Louisiana is a non-profit organization that works to protect all residents from industrial pollution and preserve the region'\;s cultural heritage.

&ldquo\;The midwives who served this region understood that real care for our community comes from within it\, something we still fight for today\, for everyone\,&rdquo\; said Gail LeBoeuf\, Co-Founder of Inclusive Louisiana. &ldquo\;This mural will stand as a reminder that the spirit of care\, healing\, and resilience they carried is still alive in the work we do here every day.&rdquo\;

The decision to memorialize the midwives grew out of recognition of how their work physically and culturally connected communities across the River Parishes. They crossed the Mississippi River\, crossed parish lines\, and crossed generations through a shared tradition of community care. Locating the mural at the Inclusive Louisiana Village Hub reflects that same spirit: the Village Hub serves today as a gathering place for environmental justice\, youth education\, and cultural preservation\, continuing a legacy of community care that the midwives embodied decades earlier.

As part of the project\, a memory book containing photographs and archival information about identified midwives will be placed inside the Village Hub\, where visitors will be invited to add their own memories and family stories &mdash\; an ongoing\, living complement to the mural itself.

&ldquo\;When I think about the midwives who walked these roads before us\, I think about strength\, faith\, and love for community\,&rdquo\; said Barbara Washington\, Co-Founder of Inclusive Louisiana. &ldquo\;To have their story honored right here at the Village Hub\, where we continue that same work of caring for our whole community&ndash\;all races and ethnicities&ndash\;means everything.&rdquo\;

&ldquo\;This mural is as much about honoring the past as it is about restoring a piece of history that was nearly lost\,&rdquo\; said Alexander Trapps-Chabala\, historian\, genealogist and volunteer project manager of the five-member River Parishes Midwives Memorial Mural project cohort. &ldquo\;The midwives of the River Parishes crossed every obstacle put in front of them to care for this community. Our work has been to trace their names\, their families\, and their legacy\, and to make sure they&rsquo\;re remembered not as a footnote\, but as the foundation they truly were.&rdquo\;

Event Details

Date: Saturday\, August 1\, 2026

Time: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Location: Inclusive Louisiana Village Hub\, 8111 Romeville St.\, Convent\, LA.

The dedication will include a 45-minute community program featuring remarks from Favorite\, the leaders of Inclusive Louisiana\, and descendants of midwives in the River Parishes. The

program will be followed by community fellowship through 2:00 p.m.\, with a traditional fish fry and sweets by Bea&rsquo\;s Pies and More\, and refreshments served throughout. Free registration available at: https://events.humanitix.com/midwives.

# # #

About Common Ground USA and The Greater New Orleans Collective Memory Project

Common Ground USA (CG-USA) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to programs and efforts that invest in a self-sustaining\, peaceful\, and inclusive United States. As part of a global movement\, its mission is to empower leaders\, bridge deep partisan and cultural divides\, and build resilient\, self-sustaining communities where all voices are heard and valued. Common Ground&rsquo\;s Greater New Orleans Collective Memory Project (2025&ndash\;2026) supports teams of local volunteers across the Greater New Orleans region in creating memorialization projects honoring untold\, overlooked\, or misreported historical events\, people\, and places. For more information\, visit https://www.cg-usa.org/

About Inclusive Louisiana

Formed in 2020\, Inclusive Louisiana is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the residents of St. James Parish and neighboring parishes from environmental harm caused by industrial pollution. A grassroots community advocate organization with deep beliefs in the Christian Faith\, Inclusive Louisiana leaders are passionate about the injustices seen imposed every day on their community&rsquo\;s health\, air\, water\, and soil. For more information\, visit https://inclusivelouisiana.org/

About Malaika Favorite

Malaika Favorite is a Louisiana-based professional artist who works in a variety of styles and media\, depending on the nature and purpose of the work. A 1967 graduate of East Ascension Senior High School\, she earned her MFA in painting and drawing from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Her goal as an artist is to present a dialogue between the viewer and the work of art\, revealing a new dimension upon each visit. Favorite&rsquo\;s works can be found in several notable collections\, including Absolut Vodka\, The Morris Museum of Art (Augusta\, Georgia)\, The Alexandria Museum of Art (Alexandria\, Louisiana)\, The Coca Cola Company (Atlanta\, Georgia)\, and The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center (Cincinnati\, Ohio). For more information\, visit: https://malaikafavorite.artspan.com/home


LOCATION:8111 Romeville St. Convent 70723 UID:e.4081.1588516 SEQUENCE:3 DTSTAMP:20260728T191710Z URL:https://business.riverregionchamber.org/community-calendar/Details/memorializing-black-midwives-of-the-river-parishes-1870096?sourceTypeId=Hub END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR