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The Cypher Origin Story

Learning midwives practicing blood draws.
Learning Midwives practicing skills in a Spinning Babies training.
Two learning midiwves standing in a hallway wearing matching black t-shirts with a graphic for Free Midwifery for the People.

The Cypher Collective's journey began in 2023 at a midwifery training in Denver, Colorado. There, Audrey, Kandice, and Trinity first connected, not yet realizing that their paths would intertwine far beyond that initial gathering. What started as casual conversations between learning midwives soon evolved into deep connections forged through virtual training, endless Zoom study sessions, and collaborative student projects.

Fate had more in store for them. Each eventually found their way to Virginia, securing apprenticeships within Richmond’s midwifery community. When these Learning Midwives weren’t in the clinic, they were together—practicing hands-on skills, running role-plays in their living rooms, and diving deep into their studies. What began as support and accountability organically transformed into something bigger: a space of learning, growth, and radical empowerment.

Thus, the Cypher was born…

Inspired by 1990 rap cyphers, The Cypher Collective is a space where Black midwifery students and baby midwives come together, each bringing their own strengths, knowledge, and wisdom to the circle. With the blessing and encouragement of fourth-generation, 22-year Midwife Racha Tahani Lawler-Queen, this will serve as a space of exchange, rhythm, and movement where skills, stories, and traditions flow freely, lifting and amplifying each other’s voices.

Welcome to The Cypher! Where we gather, grounded.

The Marathon Continues...

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Our Mission

Honoring Our Elders. Empowering Ourselves. Building Community

The Cypher Collective exists to cultivate community, education, and mentorship among learning midwives and new baby midwives of the African diaspora.

They say that when an elder dies, a library burns. As our Elder Midwives transition, they carry with them generations of traditional knowledge and sacred rituals. Our mission is to gather, preserve, and pass down these traditions—ensuring that no more libraries are lost to the flames of time.

Many are called, few are chosen.

The women behind the mission

Person smiling, wearing glasses and a stethoscope, surrounded by a circular decorative frame.
Person holding a massage tool, wearing a stethoscope, smiling, in front of a woven background.
Smiling person outdoors holding a stethoscope, wearing a yellow top.
Person in white dress and yellow headwrap sitting indoors, handling cotton branches, with a colorful couch and a wall sign about Black history in the background. 
Audrey Gentry- Brown

Learning Midwife, Certified Lactation Counselor

Midwifery called me long before I knew its name. Midwifery is my inheritance, my offering, and my responsibility. Inspired by stories of my great-aunt, Sis Vivi, a midwife in rural Jamaica, I am next in what I see as a lineage of Black birthkeepers reclaiming ancestral birth practices and healing modalities. Steeped in traditional midwifery, ancestral technology, and experience-based research, my work restores birth as sacred, honoring the intelligence of the body and spirit. This work is not just what I do—it is who I am.

Midwifery is my resistance, my responsibility, and my offering to past, present, and future generations.

A person weighing a baby in an African print spring against a plain wall background.
A person in a blue dress working in a room with yellow walls, a stethoscope hanging on the wall, and framed art.
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Person examining a pelvic model indoors 
Kandice White

Learning Midwife, Integrative Health Coach

Since I was a little girl, I’ve always been a nurturer. Whenever there was a pregnant mom or a baby nearby, I was never far away. Nearly 13 years ago, my journey into birth work began when I supported my sister during the birth of my nephew. That experience ignited my deep calling to stand with and care for birthing families with love.

Rooted in the wisdom of ancestral practices and informed care, I am committed to nurturing holistic health and wellness for birthing people.

As one of the few Black Learning CPMs in Central Virginia, I am deeply passionate about working toward a future where Black midwifery thrives, where birth spaces rooted in cultural traditions become accessible sanctuaries, and where students receive the mentorship and structured learning they need to flourish.

Rooted in the wisdom of birth, uplifting the next generation of Black midwives.

A person sitting on a step in a room with exercise equipment and a towel hanging on a rack. The person is wearing purple gloves and holding a handheld doppler, next to a bathing area. A stability ball and clothing stand are visible on the left.
Person wearing purple gloves and a headscarf tending to a newborn wrapped in a patterned cloth.
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Person holding a life-sized anatomical model featuring human genital anatomy, smiling and wearing a brown sweater. 
Trinity  Stephens

Learning Midwife, Birth Worker

Caring for families has been my calling for as long as I can remember. I attended my first birth at just 14 years old, an experience that forever shaped my path. Not long after, I became a birth worker (doula), and by 16, I had fully stepped into my journey as a learning midwife.

Now at 19, as the youngest Black midwifery student, I am determined to return home to Ohio and become one of the few Black licensed Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs). My heart is in serving my community—providing compassionate, culturally competent care while paving the way for future Black midwives. With Black midwives making up less than 2% of the profession, I am deeply committed to creating more opportunities, resources, and support for those following this path.

This work is more than a profession—it’s a legacy.

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Pregnant woman with painted belly, smiling

The Vision

  • Preserve and pass on ancestral and cultural birthing practices.

  • Uplift and support Black midwifery students and midwives through mentorship and skill-sharing.

  • Create safe spaces for education, connection, and growth.

  • Build a thriving, sustainable collective that grows future generations of midwives.

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