Thank you for attending The Summit: Tending to Our Gardens!
About The Summit
Held in Omaha, Nebraska, this year’s theme—Tending to Our Gardens—invites us to explore what it means to care for ourselves, each other, and the systems we’re reshaping. Together, we’ll dig into urgent issues shaping communities today, including economic opportunity, reproductive wellbeing, and neighborhood investment.
With engaging breakout sessions, thought-provoking conversations, and intentional moments to rest and reconnect, The Summit offers a space to learn, reflect, and grow—both personally and collectively.
It’s not just an event; it’s an invitation to be part of a movement rooted in care, power, and possibility.
Schedule |
Schedule |
What to Expect:
We’ve intentionally curated a day that nourishes the mind, body, and spirit — filled with storytelling, connection, and collective reflection.
Thursday
Day 1: Welcome Reception
08/21
Enjoy light appetizers and live music from Enjoli & Timeless on the Cass Patio at the Hilton Omaha Lobby.
Admission is from 5-8pm.
Day 2: Conference
Friday
08/22
8:00–9:00 AM – Ease into the day with breakfast and check-in
9:15 AM – Indigenous performance and land acknowledgement
9:30–9:50 AM – Welcome and grounding into our shared purpose
10:00 AM–12:00 PM – Breakout sessions designed to dig deep and grow together
12:00–1:30 PM – A shared meal, conversation, and inspiration with Jewel Rogers and our keynote experience
1:30–2:30 PM – Explore the expo and connect with local leaders and changemakers
2:30 PM – Closing reflections and an energizing African performance to send us off in power
SPEAKERS |
SPEAKERS |
Keynote Speaker
Nikole Hannah-Jones
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist | Creator of The 1619 Project
IBBG is honored to welcome Nikole Hannah-Jones as the keynote speaker for The Summit 2025: Tending to Our Garden. Known for her bold investigative reporting and unwavering commitment to racial justice, Hannah-Jones brings a powerful voice to this year’s gathering.
She is the creator of The 1619 Project, a groundbreaking initiative from The New York Times Magazine that reframes U.S. history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the center of the national narrative. The project has been adapted into a #1 New York Times bestselling book and an Emmy Award-winning docuseries on Hulu.
In addition to her work as a journalist, Hannah-Jones serves as the Knight Chair in Race and Journalism at Howard University and is the founder of the Center for Journalism & Democracy.
Her accolades include:
Pulitzer Prize for Commentary
MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship
NAACP Image Award
TIME 100: Most Influential People
Her commitment to truth-telling, justice, and collective liberation aligns deeply with the mission of IBBG.
meet our breakout Speakers
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Bajha Jordan & Dr. AnaNeicia Williams – Let’s Talk About Sex: Tending to My Garden
Dr. Tracie Gilbert – Something To Cry About: Holding Space for Grief as a Path to Living Wholly
Heather Rollinson – Our Health, Our Power: A Call to Action for Black Women, Femmes and Girls
Alicia Caldwell & Ashira – Building Your Roots of Resilience: A Self Care Approach to Live Wholly
Taja Lindley – Stewarding Stories: Reflections from the Black Women’s Dept. of Labor Project & Podcast
DérNecia Phillips – AffirmED Futures: Creating Educational Access and Opportunity for Black Girls
Naomi Hathaway & Olivia Perez – Beyond Community Advisory Committees: How to Actually Share Power
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Miriam Morales, Gudiño, Pimentel-Rodríguez & Dávila-Roldán – Perceptions, Knowledge and Practices for Reproductive Justice: An Afro-Caribbean View
Joshua Liston-Zawadi & Symphony Swan Zawadi – Men Matter in Birthwork: A Deep Dive to a Proven Model in Milwaukee
Ashley Browning – Snatched Wombs & Stolen Choices: Reproductive Justice Ain’t Just About Babies
Ashley Felts – The Red Thread: A Journey Through Puberty, Power & Possibility
Ogechukwu Williams – Childbirth Advocacy: Lessons from Africa
Ziara Kýre York – Spirit of the Womb: Traditional Indigenous Healing, Medicine, and Wellness Practices for Holistic Reproductive Health
Darryl Brown Jr – HIV Prevention, Black Women, & RJ (Why They Belong in The Same Conversation)
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Chelsey Kennedy – How Doulas are Supporting Positive Birth Experiences in Nebraska
Portia Burch – Building Culture of Joy While Divesting From Whiteness
(Open Session)
Raquel Henderson – From Survival to Sustainability: Economic Opportunity as a Pathway to Wholeness
Tayla Kelly & Mc. MiaMaria Heredia – A Lens on Queer Black Birth Work Led by the Community
Makayla Purris Stilton – Liberated Flesh: Reproductive Freedom Through the Art of Burlesque
Tsion Ghedamu – Building Sustainable Power: From Crisis Response to Long-Term Investment in Reproductive Justice
Continuing education credits:
Earn professional credit while you attend The Summit.
We’re proud to partner with Creighton University Health Sciences Continuing Education (HSCE) to offer continuing education credits (CEUs) for select sessions at The Summit — giving you the opportunity to learn, connect, and earn professional credit all in one place.
CEUs are available for physicians, nurses, and pharmacy professionals, with approval for social workers currently pending.
Attending these sessions not only expands your knowledge and skills, but also helps you stay current with best practices, meet licensure requirements, and bring valuable insights back to your workplace or community.
Accreditation Statement
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by Creighton University Health Sciences Continuing Education (HSCE) and I Be Black Girl. Creighton University Health Sciences Continuing Education is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Participants will receive continuing education credit upon completion of the post-conference evaluation. Once submitted, attendees will be able to download their certificate of completion.
“The garden is a space where we cultivate the conditions for our freedom.”
bell hooks
Our Sponsors
“IBBG serves as a collective for Black women, femmes, and girls to actualize their full potential to authentically be — through autonomy, abundance, and liberation.”
Ashlei Spivey, Executive Director
Vendors
Community Partners
The Summit |
The Summit |
A Look back at the 2023 Summit
Our inaugural Summit in 2023 was a powerful gathering of shared space, deep conversation, and collective learning. Together, we explored what it means to build a future rooted in care and community.
From our mainstage speakers—Charlene Carruthers, Jennie Joseph, Dominique Morgan, and the incomparable Dr. Angela Davis—to a dynamic group of breakout facilitators, we created space to explore the local-to-global impact of reproductive wellbeing and community care. Attendees engaged with the work, reflected on the interconnectedness of our lives, and built lasting connections across sectors.
The energy continued in the halls, where local businesses and organizations shared their offerings and sparked new relationships. It was, in every way, a time to remember.
Want to see more of what we built together?