In the midst of their grief for the death of their son, Willie, the Lincolns sought refuge at the Cottage. President Lincoln's Cottage opened the award-winning exhibit, "Reflections on Grief and Child Loss" in 2020 as a way to express the universality of grief across time, connecting the Lincolns to modern families.
Join the folks at Lincoln’s Cottage for a free screening of "Before a Breath," a documentary film that explores stillbirth, maternal health, and meaning-making after loss. This is an independently organized event inspired by reporting from ProPublica, an award-winning nonprofit newsroom. Following the screening, join us for a conversation featuring:
Kanika Harris is a birth justice advocate and doula. She holds a doctorate in health behavior and health education and is the executive director of the National Association to Advance Black Birth.
Callie Hawkins is the CEO and Executive Director of President Lincoln's Cottage. She curated the exhibit, "Reflections on Grief and Child Loss" which won the National Council on Public History's Outstanding Public History Project Award in 2023.
Erin Wallace Morrison facilitates DC Pregnancy Loss and Infant Death Support group, the only regularly-meeting peer support group for pregnancy loss and infant death in DC.
Nadia Sussman is a filmmaker and journalist at ProPublica. She is the director of "Before a Breath."
Debbie Haine Vijayvergiya is a stillbirth parent advocate and the mother behind the SHINE for Autumn Act, named in honor of her daughter, Autumn, who was stillborn in 2011.