A Persistent Fight for Fair Childbirth in Massachusetts.

At the close of the spring semester, students in Jennifer Beard’s Global Health Storytelling class completed multimedia reporting projects that examined some of the thorniest issues in public health.

Beard is a clinical associate professor in the Department of Global Health who co-founded the BU Program for Global Health Storytelling—a collaboration between BUSPH, the BU College of Communication, and the Pulitzer Center. The class is co-taught by John Baynard, a master lecturer in COM with more than 40 years of experience in print, television, and documentary journalism.

The students worked in cross-disciplinary teams of one SPH student and one COM student to combine strengths and interests while learning from each other. This story, written by DrPH student Omonyele Adjognon and senior COM student Lauren Fox, examines the longstanding challenges to opening and operating freestanding, midwife-assisted birth centers in Massachusetts and updates the arduous journey of alum Nashira Baril (SPH’06) and her fight to open the Neighborhood Birth Center in Roxbury.