Arise Black Midwife

09/07/2026

ARISE COMMUNITY! is a strategic way for you to support your Arise Honoree! Make a Pledge in their Honor and secure your ticket to The Arise BIPOC Midwife Future of Midwifery Celebration to Honor New & Student BIPOC Midwives

The Arise BIPOC Midwife ARISE COMMUNITY Pledge Opportunity! Instructions for Arise Community: Make a pledge to an Arise BIPOC Midwife Honoree by donating towards the celebration affair or sponsoring your Honoree's regalia (a gift of $99). When you give, please indicate the name of your Honoree so th...

07/23/2026

Join us for this NPTF Midwifery Connection Call

Taiwo I Adeloye-Ajao MPH SNM

“Tia” Ajao is the CEO of Perinatal Safe Spot(tm) Hello Baby Baltimore and founder of Arise Black Midwife. Born in Washington, D.C. to immigrant parents, and raised in Baltimore, MD, she obtained an MPH in Maternal & Child Health, Community Health & Prevention in 2008, and later attended the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, where she became a nurse & a doula.

After serving in various hospital settings, Tia began working as a Birth Nurse alongside community midwives and has since worked with a variety of midwifery practices in the Greater Baltimore & DMV areas. She decided to pursue midwifery as a profession in 2020 and is currently nearing the conclusion of her Master of Midwifery studies. She is certified in Maternal-Newborn Nursing, EFM, NRP, CPR, and S.T.A.B.L.E. and serves her community as a certified birth & postpartum doula, a Lamaze-certified childbirth educator, and an international board-certified lactation consultant (IBCLC).

Tia serves on the Board of The National Black Midwives Alliance and is a team leader for the Maryland Community Midwifery Collaborative. She desires to uplift BIPOC midwives, enhance culturally congruent care, and expand access to community-based midwifery in her state. She enjoys crafting and spending quality time with her spouse & 2 teen sons.

03/18/2026

The Initiative is launching her sister affair to be inclusive of all people of color.

Founded by Rising Black Midwife Keyawna Scruggs Matthews , Arise BIPOC Midwife is a Pinning Ceremony for Black, Indigenous and People of Color that spans across all genres of midwifery and across all academic and training programs. Arise BIPOC Midwife seeks to diversify midwifery by improving the retention of BIPOC students, as many face significant barriers due to lack of connection during the learning experience. Elder & Guiding BIPOC Midwives lead the ceremony and engage in several altruistic ways.

The next hybrid affair will accommodate both in-person and virtual participation and will be held during the Fall of 2026. Learn more at www.arisebipocmidwife.org and

03/16/2026

Because Founder Taiwo Ikeoluwa Adeloye-Ajao (Tia Ajao) has been a student for every Cohort this far, she returns to recommit in the presence of all her Midwife Elders & Guides at This will be her last one as a participant. 👏🏾✨💜

Meet Tia Ajao

She has an MPH, is a certified RN, and serves her community as a doula, birth educator & IBCLC

Tenant: Akoma

"I found the word Akoma when I was looking for a term that means like the patience of the Community Midwives that I worked with as an RN birth assistant at birth center & homebirths. ✨🤲🏾✨

is an Adinkra symbol from Ghana that means "The Core" and includes endurance, love, patience, longsuffering, tolerance, and goodwill. This one symbol makes me think of all of the Fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 and every description of Love in I Corinthians 13. In Greek & Albanian languages, the word Akoma means "Still Yet". Akoma speaks deeply to my journey and defines who I desire to be as a future provider 🤎

Lord please let AK♡MA arise in me 🙏🏾"