Kenda Sutton-EL is the Founder and Executive Director of Birth In Color. A native of rural Virginia, Kenda focuses on Reproductive Sexual Justice, Birth Justice, Black maternal Health, Structural Racism, and organizes for Incarcerated pregnant people and human rights violations. An Activist that trains people of color to become doulas, Trains healthcare systems and workers in racial bias training.
Kenda Sutton-EL a true leader who started raising awareness and creating initiatives for Black Maternal Health In Virginia. Birth In Color VA is the leading organization that focuses on the care of people of color and the implementation of doulas into the workforce. Kenda holds a Bachelor’s in Health Science and is also a Doula Trainer, Diversity Equity Inclusion Consultant, and Policy Analyst, amongst other things.
Kenda had the pleasure of sitting on Vice President Kamala Harris's roundtable discussion on Reproductive Health and currently serves as the Chair of the Virginia Doula Taskforce Chair, the Chair of Greater Richmond Regional Maternal Child Health Taskforce, a member of the Virginia Maternal and Data Outcomes Taskforce, and Pregnancy Services for Incarceration Workgroup.
In 2019, Kenda Sutton-EL helped establish “Black Maternal Health Week” and also led the campaign for Doula Medicaid Reimbursement for the state of Virginia. Her passion for reproductive justice has led her to relentlessly pursue methods of improving maternal health for women of color. She firmly believes that until every woman is safe before, during, and after childbirth, we have not done our job as a society. In 2020 Sutton-EL was the creator of Herstory in partnership with Urban One Radio centering Maternal Health. In 2021, Kenda was the recipient of the “Women of the Year’ ACHI Magazine Award and Urban One Hometown Hero Award. 2024, Kenda has been named Health Equity Advocate of the year by Families USA.