In the birth world, the concept of altars isn’t unfamiliar. Many of us create sacred spaces — birth altars — within our homes or birthing spaces. Often filled with candles, herbs, photographs, and affirmations, these arrangements help channel calm, strength, and connection during pregnancy or labor. For Nadiya Nacorda, an altar became a meaningful part of preparing for the home birth of her daughter in August 2023 — a space to hold both joy and grief at once.

When Nadiya first created the altar, she was still processing the loss of her grandmother — who in addition to being her nana, had been a midwife and nurse and had cared for countless families throughout her life. With birth and death so closely intertwined, the altar became a way for Nadiya to honor her grandmother’s legacy while preparing to welcome her daughter’s new life.

I’ve known Nadiya for years. We’ve built a friendship that has stretched across different seasons of life, and I had the honor of serving as her and her husband Evan’s doula during the pregnancy and birth of their twin boys. So, when I first learned about the Altars Festival — a celebration of cultural and ancestral remembrance — it wasn’t long before Nadiya came to mind and I reached out to her. It felt like such a powerful opportunity to honor the deeply sacred spaces Black women and birthers hold when bringing life into the world.

This installation is more than just art — it offers an intimate window into something much larger. This altar invites us to enter the intersections of Black motherhood, Black midwifery, intergenerational love, and the way life and loss show up together. It invites us to reflect on the strength, complexity, and resilience woven into these experiences.

For the Altars Festival, Nadiya recreated and expanded on her birth altar. The installation pulls viewers into an intimate, home-like space with Nadiya’s own dresser at its center. On its surface are images from her second pregnancy, ultrasound photos, and objects from her grandmother — beads, lavender, candles, and amethyst. Propped up against the wall are three white-framed photos of her nana: one in her midwifery uniform, another of her as a mother holding her daughter, and the third, a portrait Nadiya took herself.

Altars — wherever we create them — invite us into sacred spaces for reflection, connection, and setting intentions. Too often, the dominant narrative about Black maternal health focuses only on hardship and struggle. And while yes of course, we do need to engage with the systemic inequities in maternal care and push for real change, we also need to create room for and embrace the love, strength, and stories rooted in the experiences of Black midwives and birthing people. Honoring these stories — and honoring each other — helps us see the fullness of who we are and opens the door to a future where every family can thrive.

This altar also brings up something else that I believe is far too often overlooked. When we narrowly focus Black maternal health conversations on data and statistics — on the snippets so easy to fit into a 30 second Instagram clip, or an article headline — it’s easy to lose sight of the individuals behind the numbers. Health equity asks more of us — it in fact requires — that we meet people where they are, to understand their unique needs, desires, identities, and details. If we want to close the gaps in care that lead to poor experiences and outcomes, we have to be willing to move beyond the pale, efficient, clinical norms, and see, hear, and engage with each one of us clearly and compassionately.

Partnering with Nadiya on this project has been a full-circle moment I feel honored that my team and I could help bring to life. May we honor the stories carried within this altar, and as we stand in the space between legacy and possibility, may we reflect deeply, connect with intention, and be moved to act boldly — so that every family, across generations, can thrive.

Blending personal memory with cultural legacy, Nadiya's birth altar reminds us health equity begins when we truly see and honor every story.

See the Exhibit in Person

We invite you to experience Nadiya’s birth altar in person at Altars Festival, where art, culture, and ancestral remembrance come together. The installation will be on display from October 25 to November 17, 2024 at Art Works in Richmond, VA.

Location: Art Works, 320 Hull St, Richmond, VA 23224
Dates: October 25th – November 17th

Opening Night Reception: Join us for the official opening reception on November 1st from 6-8 PM to connect with artists, explore the altars, and celebrate these powerful stories. RSVP here

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