Awards & Publications

Shafia Monroe’s audiences encompass many diverse organizations, academic institutions, and individuals, including:

  • Rikki Lake
  • Albina Rotary Club
  • Oregon Health and Science University
  • San Francisco Healthy Birth Initiative
  • ACNM Midwives of Color Association
  • Midwives Alliance of North America
  • Midwifery Today Conference
  • Portland State University
  • Universite De Libre in Colombia (South America)
  • The Birth Congress—Water Birth International
  • High Schools
  • National Conferences and many more

2013 Recipient: Don’t Lose This Dream Award

Shafia Monroe receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award for Community Health
Shafia Monroe receives the Lifetime Achievement Award for Community Health in 2014.

Awards

Shafia Monroe’s work as a midwife, historian, and public health professional — her consistent mission of reducing infant and maternal mortality — has earned her numerous awards:

  • Certificate of Appreciation To the Art of Midwifery and Serving Her Community
    National Black Midwives Alliance, 2022
  • Lifetime Achievement Award
    Midwives Alliance of North America, 2019
  • Dr. Hildrus A. Poindexter Award
    Black Caucus of Health Workers, American Public Health Association, 2019
  • Women of Excellence Health & Wellness Award
    Portland Alumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., 2019
  • Unsung Hero Award
    SISTAS, LLC, 20018
  • Lifetime Achievement Award
    Maternal-Child Health Champion Awards Ceremony, Human Rights in Childbirth US Summit, 2016
  • Lifetime Achievement Service Award for Community Health
    We are Health Movement, OR, 2014
  • Don’t Lose This Dream Award Award
    Keeping the Dream LLC, 2013
  • Midwife Hero Award
    Midwives of Color Committee—ACNM, 2012
  • Harriet Tubman Award
    Birthing Project USA, 2012
  • Infant Advocacy Angel Award
    The Red Dress Society, 2011
  • Achievement Award
    4th Annual Muslim Women’s Conference, 2008
  • Women Making History
    Mural, Portland, OR, 2007
  • Recognition for Preserving the Legacy of Midwifery
    National Institute of Health (NIH), 2007
  • Unsung Hero Award
    Boston, Massachusetts, 1989

News & Media

Publications

  • Monroe, Shafia (January 2020), Perinatal Disparities and Solutions, North Carolina Medical Journal
  • Monroe, S.M. et, al. (2016). Birthing Justice: Black Women, Pregnancy, and Childbirth.
  • Monroe, S.M. (2013). “Presidential Address,” Black Midwives and Healers Review. Link to PDF, 31 pages.
  • Monroe, SM. (2011). “Reclaiming Childbirth,” Sojourners Magazine. Link to online article.
  • Monroe, S.M. et, al. (2010). “The Child is The Gem,” Into These Hands, Wisdom From Midwives.
  • Monroe, S. M. (2008). “Midwives Honor the Sexuality of Pregnancy and Birth,” Midwifery Today.
  • Monroe, S. M., & Dula, A. (1990). “Lay Midwifery, Just Ain’t Fair: The Ethics of Health Care for African Americans.”

Research Experience

Vedam Birthplace Lab

UBC Faculty of Medicine, British Columbia

2014 – Present

“Giving Voice to Mothers” — a national research study to measure the birth experience of US women who birthed in the past five years. The goal is to collect data from a broad spectrum of women to provide recommendations for improving women’s birth experiences and improving birth outcomes in vulnerable populations. Serves as a committee member, aided in creating questions, marketing the survey, and survey evaluation.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Oregon & SW Washington Affiliate, OR

Position: Intern Program Evaluator, 2012

Led the evaluation project for measuring the program intervention level for breast self-awareness and mammogram use. Designed quantitative and qualitative analysis tools to measure the program’s effectiveness, coded the education materials for health literacy levels, and used focus groups to measure the cultural competency of the program. Summarized the project outcomes and presented the findings with recommendations to the education committee and the CEO.

Multnomah County Women, Infant, and Children (WIC)

2002 – 2016

Qualitative analysis to investigate barriers to breastfeeding duration rates for African American babies.