Pioneers in Health Episode 13, December 5, 2024 – Sapphire Garcia BS CLE CPD, founder and executive director, Kansas Birth Justice Society.
Sapphire Garcia is the founder and executive director of the Kansas Birth Justice Society, a nonprofit focused on policy change and direct community support to catalyze reproductive justice and perinatal health equity in Kansas.
The organization was incorporated in 2020 as the Wichita Birth Justice Society, with a mission to eliminate racial disparities in perinatal health and nurture birth justice throughout the state of Kansas through initiatives that support, advocate for, and center the needs of those who are most impacted by health inequities. In 2022, the organization rebranded as the Kansas Birth Justice Society and expanded its scope to also focus on the goal of delivering vital advocacy and evidence-based, culturally-affirming support services statewide.
Sapphire is a maternal and infant health advocate, certified lactation consultant and educator, and professional doula with more than a decade of experience working in the field of perinatal health equity. Her experience includes community-led activism, community organizing, public health messaging, and community midwifery. Additionally, she has almost two decades of experience in business operations and management.
Garcia’s work is focused on unabashed truth-telling, calling for accountability within systems, and kindling community change from the grassroots level. Sapphire continues to take pride in her strong community ties and in the hundreds of thriving babies she has helped welcome into the world as a community-based birth worker.