A midwife opened Virginia's first Black-owned birthing center to serve expectant mothers.

Meet Racha Tahani Lawler-Queen, a fourth-generation midwife turned entrepreneur who founded Gather Grounded Midwifery, the first and only Black-owned Virginia birthing center. Her vision was to create a welcoming space for families to come together and celebrate the joy of new life.

Lawler-Queen was driven to make a difference, and she started her journey earlier this year. She got on a Zoom call with Black birth workers in Richmond and discovered the lack of representation in birthing centers, especially out of hospital birth.

Lawler-Queen began to look for a place to transform into a birthing center. She initially planned to transform a Richmond home, but city permits restricted the center's growth in the area. This didn't stop her, and she soon found a new location in Chesterfield County, Virginia. Gather Grounded Midwifery officially opened its doors in August.

The birthing center is designed to meet the needs of expanding families. It features a family room and birthing room that accommodate diverse families. Lawler-Queen wants the families to be able to experience pregnancy without fear or unnecessary interventions. She emphasizes that it is meant to be a place that people feel seen, safe and supported.

With over $30,000 raised on the birthing cottage's GoFundMe page, Lawler-Queen acknowledges the diverse support. She credits the community's enthusiasm for the center's success, and it enables her to support families during one of their most significant life moments. It gives them greater power and provides them an opportunity to give birth in a way that affirms them and their family.

You can learn more about the Virginia birthing center at GatherGroundedMidwifery.com. This news was first reported on blackbusiness.com.

If you want to learn more about Lawler-Queen’s journey to open the Virginia birthing center, check out the related content: Meet the Black Woman Opening a Birthing Center to Save the Lives of Black Moms and Babies.

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