Sona Smith, (she/her,) is the Birth Justice Program Officer at the Ms. Foundation. She has been working in non-profit and movement spaces for over 15 years, with experience developing, implementing and managing innovative programs that serve young people in Chicago and beyond. She has been deeply committed to improving the lives of youth, families, and organizations in disinvested communities. Throughout her career she has worked for various organizations, including Chicago Volunteer Doulas as the Executive Director. She has a rich history in youth development, program management, leveraging community support and resources, developing coalitions and building relationships with a shared sense of purpose. Her work in the birth justice movement has included serving as a birth doula and lactation peer counselor for families in Chicago and participating as one of the first members of Health Connect One’s Birth Equity Leadership Academy.
Currently she sits on HMBANA Donor Milk Health Equity Task Force and is recent a graduate of both the Cultivate Women of Color Leadership Cohort, and Rockwood Leadership Institute Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice Fellowship. Most recently she has graciously served as Executive Director of Illinois Caucus for Adolescent Health, a youth centered reproductive justice organization located in Chicago. Sona is a mother of three amazing children Aya Sol, Ameen Naji, and Ajani Najim. Her commitment to birth and reproductive justice was birthed through her lived experiences as a Black woman and mother navigating harmful systems of oppression and injustice as she was becoming a parent.
