New York, NY, April 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — After an award-winning film festival season, including 2 Emmy Awards, 3 Webby Awards, 5 Telly Awards, and an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Short Form Documentary Film, The Ebony Canal, directed by Emmy-award winning Emmai Alaquiva and narrated by EGOT- winning actress Viola Davis, announces the launch of its global tour.
The Ebony Canal: Global Birth Equity Tour will bring the critically acclaimed documentary into communities across the country and internationally through curated screenings, community conversations, and on-the-ground activations focused on advancing Black maternal and infant health.
The tour builds on a growing national and international presence, with upcoming activations at the American Black Film Festival and participation in the Festival de Cannes this May through Pavilion Afro Nova, led by CEO and Founder Karine Barclais.
“It’s important now more than ever, that we capitalize on this moment in our movement. It is not lost on me or my team that the time is now for us to activate, reach as many people as possible, and save more mothers and babies”, stated film Director, Emmai Alaquiva.
As part of its academic engagement strategy, The Ebony Canal has launched a targeted curriculum focused effort to medical universities and colleges. In recent months the film has screened at Tennessee State University, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Connecticut, University of Pittsburgh, and Lehigh University with additional campus screenings underway with Howard and Harvard Universities.
2026 GLOBAL TOUR SCHEDULE*
The Ebony Canal: Global Birth Equity Tour, led by Perry Media, launches next week with confirmed screenings, institutional engagements, and global festival appearances across the United States and internationally:
April 11, 2026 — Seattle, WA
Surge Seattle, Rainier Arts Center
April 13, 2026 — Wilmington, DE
DHMIC Summit, The Chase Center at Riverfront
April 13, 2026 — Harrisburg, PA
Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts, 6:00 PM
April 14, 2026 — New York, NY
Press Day — Way Up with Angela Yee, WBLS
April 16, 2026 — New York, NY
Level Forward, IFC Center
April 16, 2026 — Virtual
Eastern Area, The Links, Incorporated
April 26, 2026 — Rochester, NY
Health Transformers
April 28, 2026 — Newark, NJ
March of Dimes – Kean University
May 10, 2026 — Los Angeles, CA
Power Moms Tour with iRTH and Naturi Naughton-Lewis
May 12–23, 2026 — Cannes, France
Cannes Film Festival, Pavilion Afro Nova
May 27–31, 2026 — Miami, FL
American Black Film Festival
June 3–14, 2026 — New York, NY
Tribeca Film Festival
June 19, 2026 — Atlanta, GA
Power Moms Tour with iRTH and Naturi Naughton-Lewis
June 26, 2026 — Baltimore, MD
Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Inc.
August 7–13, 2026 — Oak Bluffs, MA
Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival
Power Moms Tour with iRTH and Naturi Naughton-Lewis
September 10–16, 2026 — Toronto, Canada
Toronto International Film Festival
*Additional university engagements, international activations, and community-based screenings will be announced as part of the ongoing global rollout.
Building on the film’s national momentum, the tour is designed to convene healthcare leaders, advocates, families, and policymakers to engage in meaningful dialogue, elevate lived experiences, and explore solutions addressing disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes all while amplifying the crisis overall.
Select tour stops will host celebrity appearances from birth equity leaders featured in The Ebony Canal documentary – BirthFund founder, Elaine Welteroth, 4Kira4Moms founder, Charles Johnson and iRTH APP founder, Kimberly Seals Allers with actress Naturi Naughton-Lewis. The Ebony Canal will join select dates with Allers and Naughton-Lewis.
The growing response to the project continues to expand its reach across communities, institutions, and global platforms, reinforcing the need for sustained engagement and solutions that address the realities of Black maternal health.
The ultimate measure of success remains clear for The Ebony Canal team. Saving more lives.
About The Ebony Canal
The Ebony Canal is an Emmy Award-winning documentary film that brings together policy, artistry, and lived experience to reveal how Black maternal and infant health stands at the intersection of love and justice. The film examines the HERstoric portal between the disparities of infant mortality and the current state of maternal health.
The film captures the humanity and inequities shaping Black motherhood through the stories of Mariah Peoples, Rachel Strader, Alana Yzola Daly, and Larissa Lane. It also features appearances and commentary from Vice President Kamala Harris, Lamman Rucker, and Elaine Welteroth, with creative contributions by Keke Palmer.
The film features an original score by Bud’da (Stephen Anderson), a Grammy-nominated producer and composer whose work blends emotion and storytelling. It is further grounded in data and analytic insights from Dr. Margaret Larkins Pettigrew, whose research highlights the systemic realities defining birth and survival for Black families in America.
Executive Produced by Brenda Gilbert, Lekha Singh, Sanjay Rawal, and Sam Reiman.
Special thanks to the Richard King Mellon Foundation and Janis Burley of the August Wilson African American Cultural Center for their contributions to this film.
Media Center:
The Ebony Canal short film has garnered the following honors:
- 2) Emmy Awards
- 57th NAACP Image Award (Outstanding Short-Form Documentary)
- 3) Webby Awards
- 5) Telly Awards
- Anthem Awards
- ESSENCE FF (Best Documentary for Social Impact)
- URBANWORLD FF (Best Documentary for Cultural Awareness)
Recent Press (clickable links)
Press Center (clickable links)
Socials
Media Contact:
Marcia Perry Dix | Perry Media
Phone: 717-576-1899
Email: Marcia@perrymedia.com
- Kickin of Black Maternal Health Week
- Viola Davis with Director Emmai Alaquiva
