Kristina Cheek
Kristina Cheek is the Founder and Executive Director of Sista Girl Birth Initiative, a community-based organization focusing on Black maternal health in Valdosta, Georgia.
A Black woman. Mother of four. Leader. Risk-taker. Dreamer. Connector. Overcomer. Advocate. Go getter. Kristina has a passion for improving the birth, breastfeeding, and parenting experience for Black birthing and parenting families in Valdosta and surrounding rural South Georgia. She aims to heal the pain and trauma narrative around the perinatal experience of Black women and helps them reclaim their birth right.
Her four empowering, transformative birth experiences inspired her calling into birth work, and she became a doula after training with CAPPA and DONA International. She then obtained her Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) certification credential. She is currently a candidate of the Perinatal Mental Health Counselor (PMH-C) credential following her extensive training with the Policy Center for Maternal Mental Health. In the 16 years that she has been in birth work, she still feels the magic from seeing a baby being born and the moment a mother realizes her full strength and power as a woman. Birth work is an honor and privilege for her, and she is grateful and blessed that this is her lifework and calling.
Kristina’s expertise lies in forming meaningful and long-lasting community connections and collaborations, workshop facilitation, curriculum development, political organizing, and healthcare policy consulting. She has successfully lead workshops in breastfeeding, Black maternal health, public policy, reproductive justice, childbirth education, as well overseeing a successful weekly fatherhood program.
Kristina served as the South Health District WIC Breastfeeding Coordinator, where she was awarded a Loving Support Gold award through USDA. After working for five years as a Family Support Specialist and briefly, as the Fatherhood Engagement Coordinator through the South Health District (GA DPH) Healthy Start program, Kristina founded Sista Girl Birth Initiative, an emerging non-profit organization to specifically target and serve Black birthing families in her community. She is also a Black Mothers Breastfeeding Association Birth and Leadership Institute cohort selectee. She was recently chosen to serve as a neo-doula mentor for the inaugural Georgia Black Doula Network cohort. Kristina graduated from the second cohort of the rigorous Perinatal Patient Navigator program in April 2024 with the Morehouse School of Medicine Center for Maternal Health Equity.
She is an active member of the Southwest Georgia Breastfeeding Coalition and the Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Doula Access Working Group. Kristina is also an enthusiastic Southern Georgia Black Chambers of Commerce member, where she has honed her business and community development skills. Kristina was recognized in September 2024 as a Hometown Hero by the Southeast Georgia Community Health Worker association for her hard work and dedication to perinatal health. She was also selected to join the second class of the South Georgia Women’s Leadership Initiative and has recently joined the inaugural Amicae Auxiliary Chapter of Zeta Sigma Zeta in Valdosta, GA. Kristina is a Sister Song Birth Justice Care Fund partner to help reduce barriers to perinatal support for at-risk, low-income women in her community. She recently traveled to Joliet, IL to attend the Black Maternal Health Caucus Stakeholder Summit where Valdosta was represented for the first time. In October 2024, Kristina will have her first major maternal health presenter feature at the Black Mothers Breastfeeding Association annual conference, where she will present on her organization and community partnerships for optimal perinatal health outcomes.
Kristina strongly believes that community health workers and partnerships are the key to solving the Black maternal and child health crisis in America.
Outside of her work in maternal child health, Kristina is a lover of jazz and has an excellent extensive vinyl collection. She is an outstanding cook, riding quarter horses, and has a weakness for beautiful dresses. Kristina is also an avid reader with a love for historical fiction in the American South. Her favorite mantra is “make your own magic” which she strives to do daily. Her four children (and her dog Zora) are the best things that has ever happened to her and what she is most proud of.