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September 25 at 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Free
Join the UCLA Art & Global Health Center for a free screening of The Ebony Canal, directed by six-time Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Emmai Alaquiva. The documentary examines disparities in Black infant mortality and maternal health while sharing the experiences of Black mothers and highlighting solution-driven approaches to improving health outcomes.
The film is narrated by Viola Davis and includes creative contributions from Keke Palmer, who is the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television’s 2026–27 Artist-in-Residence.
Following the screening, join panelists with direct expertise in Black maternal and infant health for a discussion.
Panelists include:
Shy Taylor (Moderator) is a Los Angeles–based TV host, pop culture expert, and entertainment reporter. Her credits include E! News The Rundown, TMZ, Access Daily, and Tyler Perry’s Sistas Salon at the BET Experience. She is also an official NAACP Image Awards correspondent, a writer for Hallmark, and founder of ShyUniversity, which provides resources and inspiration for children in marginalized communities.
Mashariki Kudumu, MPH, is a public health strategist and birth justice advocate. She is Founder and Director of the California Black Birth Equity Summit, where she convenes stakeholders to collaborate and reimagine systems of care and support for Black families.
Lisa A. Nicholas, MD, OBGYN, is a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist at UCLA Health and Vice Chair of Inclusive Excellence for UCLA Obstetrics and Gynecology. Her work focuses on advancing equity in women’s health care, addressing structural racism in medicine, and training physicians to provide compassionate care.
Kimberly Durdin, LM, CPM, is a Licensed Midwife, Certified Professional Midwife, and retired Internationally Board-Certified Lactation Consultant. She is the Executive Director of the Birthing People Foundation, an Entrepreneur Speaker, Educator, and Doula Trainer. As a mother of six and grandmother of six, Kimberly credits her children (and grandchildren) as her greatest teachers.
The evening also celebrates the announcement that Alaquiva will direct the mini-series pilot for Valentine Toya LeGrand, the Center’s Haitian-inspired Afrofuturist project celebrating women’s empowerment and mental health. We are seeking support to help bring this next stage of the project to life.
Schedule
- 6:30 PM — Theater opens to the public
- 7 PM — Program and screening
- 8:15 PM — Reception
RSVP encouraged but not required
This event is made possible through the generous support of the Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies at UCLA, the UCLA Bixby Center on Population and Reproductive Health, the UCLA Office of Inclusive Excellence, the Office of Inclusive Excellence at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, the Global Health Program at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Braintree Productions, UCLA Department of African American Studies, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and
Science, and the UCLA Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance.