Research Assistant

About ITOA Movement

In the Tradition of Our Ancestors (ITOA) Movement is a community-rooted organization dedicated to truth-telling through oral history and archival research, healing-centered educational programming, and spiritual-clinical approaches to reproductive support. ITOA Movement's work is grounded in deep community relationships, spiritual accountability, and intergenerational healing practices.

We are fiscally sponsored by Foundation for Louisiana (FFL) as we prepare for independent 501(c)(3) status.

ITOA Movement is distinct in its commitment to honoring the inseparability of health, history, spirit, and community. Through narrative reclamation and community-centered research, we make space for health, culture, and collective imagination to coexist by focusing on restoring truth and dignity to lineages erased from public memory.

The Black Sage Femme Project

The Black Sage Femme Project is a three-phase narrative, oral history, and research initiative that restores the voices and legacies of Black midwives and traditional birthworkers. The Louisiana Phase–which this contract will support–includes the following:

• 16 oral history interviews (two per region across Louisiana)
• Archival research and narrative development
• A multimedia, interactive digital map
• A community art exhibit for Black Midwives Day
• Regional dialogue circles
• An educational toolkit collaboratively designed with a curriculum consultant

This project responds to the systemic erasure of Black Sage Femmes–midwives, healers, traiteurs, and conjure women–whose cultural and clinical expertise shaped reproductive health in Louisiana for generations. Their exclusion from institutional histories has had direct consequences for contemporary maternal health inequities and community trust.

In creating a counter-archive rooted in community memory, ITOA Movement aims to uplift surviving traditions, repair narrative harm, and reimagine pathways for reproductive justice and cultural healing. Additionally, as The Black Sage Femme Project is rooted in historically Black reproductive traditions and community-based research, we especially encourage applicants who are connected to HBCU institutions–including undergraduate and graduate students or early-career researchers whose academic training aligns with these traditions.

Project Goals

The Black Sage Femme Project documents, preserves, and uplifts histories of Black midwifery and birthing traditions in Louisiana to:

• Restore silenced narratives of Black birthing knowledge and traditional healing methods
• Provide communities with tools for cultural reclamation and healing
• Support digital and artistic storytelling practices that honor lineage and place
• Strengthen intergenerational dialogue around Black reproductive traditions
• Create publicly accessible resources that challenge dominant myths and expand collective understandings of reproductive health, cultural responsiveness, belonging, and community sovereignty

Role, Responsibilities, & Qualifications – RA Consultant

Research & Interview Support

• Assist in conducting oral history interview (in-person or virtual depending on region)
• Conduct transcription for the 16 interviews
• Ensure accuracy and completeness of transcripts

Qualitative Data Management

• Format, organize, and prepare audio/transcript files for analysis
• Develop and implement a coding structure in MAXQDA or similar qualitative software
• Conduct qualitative analysis to surface themes, patterns, and story elements

Project Integration

• Prepare analysis summaries to guide the creation of the interactive digital map
• Collaborate with project director and digital producer to align data with multimedia storytelling needs
• Support preparation of curated narrative materials for the art exhibit, toolkit, and dialogue circles

Preferred Qualifications

• Current undergraduate or graduate student enrolled at an HBCU or early-career professional (0-5 years experience) with tradition in qualitative research, African American studies, gender and sexualities studies, reproductive justice, public health, biomedical sciences, or related fields

Outcomes

The RA Consultant will be responsible for submitting the following deliverables:

• Completed transcription and data formatting for all 16 oral history interviews
• Qualitative coding framework (MAXQDA or equivalent) based on the guidance provided by the project director
• Thematic analysis summary outlining key narrative threads, cultural themes, and geographic linkages
• Data synthesis packet prepared for map developer and creative team
• One final written report documenting methods, coding decisions, and analytic outcomes based on the guidance provided by the project director

Budget

$1,500 total consultant fee for work performed between January 26–May 31, 2026. Disbursement coordinated through Foundation for Louisiana.

To Apply:

Please submit the following materials for consideration:

• Cover letter describing your interest in the project and relevant experience
• Resume or CV (experience with MAXQDA or similar preferred, not required)
• One work sample demonstration qualitative research, transcription, or narrative analysis skills (optional but encouraged)

Submission accepted until position filled. Interviews will happen the week of January 12, 2025 until position filled. Final decisions will be made by January 22, 2025 unless otherwise stated. For any questions, please contact email with "RA Consultant Application – Black Sage Femme Project" in the subject line. Applicants may email questions before the deadline.

Job Types: Part-time, Contract, Internship

Work Location: Remote