Subscribe to Our Newsletter

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Talk to Us!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Submit a Resource to MHLIC

  • The Maternal Health Learning and Innovation Center aims to be an exceptional national resource center for eliminating maternal health inequities and improving well-being for all families in the U.S. Please help us build a national repository to support individuals, teams, and communities working towards improved maternal health care. Resources will be stored here on our website.

    Please share your resource suggestion below. It is appreciated if you are able to complete as much of the form as possible, but some fields aren’t required.

    Email Suzannew@med.unc.edu with any questions.

  • Check all that apply
  • We have categorized our repository of resources in to nine categories, with sub-categories to support various themes related to maternal morality and morbidity. Do you have a suggestion for a resource in one or more of these categories?
  • MHLIC would request permission to post this and any resource on our site. Do you know a contact person for this resource so an MHLIC team member can reach out about permission to share?
  • Please share any additional feedback or ideas you have as we build our national repository of maternal health learning resources.
  • By checking this box, you are acknowledging that you are the owner and/or have permission to share this resource.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Submit Feedback

Thanks for your help as we evaluate our resources!
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Maternal Health Learning and Innovation Center

Maternal Health Learning and Innovation Center

Accelerating innovative and evidence-informed interventions that improve maternal health and eliminate maternal health inequities

  • About
    • Overview
    • Team
    • Services
    • Blog
    • News
    • Media Toolkits
    • Team Communications
  • Programs
    • Overview
    • RMOMS Program Support
    • MHI Program Support
    • Technical Assistance
  • Resource Center
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • 2023 National Maternal Health Innovation Symposium
  • Connect
    • Contact Us Forms
    • Technical Assistance Request Form
    • Resource Feedback
    • Subscribe to Our National Newsletter
    • Subscribe to Our Podcast
  • Show Search
Hide Search

Black Mamas Claiming Power, Resilience, and Liberation

This is a traumatic, serious, preventative issue. – Jennifer Carroll Foy

Last week we participated as learners in Black Maternal Health Week (BMHW), learning from and centering the experiences, creativity, and beauty of black mothers and birthing people. We encourage you to watch / re-watch all that was shared to continue to build your own understanding. We want to honor that many of the resources we are pointing you to were generated by organizations who are part of the Black Mamas Matter Alliance as well as many other groups led by women of color. Links and resources are below to make it easy for you to connect.

We offer a few reflections from the week. First, the stories and wisdom shared last week illustrated the impact of historic and structural racism on maternal health and well-being. We must understand our past so that we can build a better future. At the same time, speakers, writers, and performers elevated the strength of black women who have organized, resisted, and birthed generations through fire. Black women are powerful, and Black women are transforming birth and parenting. For that we offer deep gratitude. The content shared last week didn’t shy away from the deep pain and loss wrought by our system’s inability to treat women of color with respect and care creates – trauma that is carried across generations. This pain calls us to action. Reproductive Justice focuses not only on having children safely but also on raising those children in safety. The recent killings of Daunte Wright and Adam Toledo remind us that there is much work to be done on all levels to address the bias in this country.

The week was a reminder that we have a collective responsibility to provide excellent care so we can support all birthing people in a way that they feel seen, heard, loved, and cherished. Yes, loved and cherished. Birthing people in this country deserve nothing less. Pregnancy, birth, and early parenthood are a time when mothers are both incredibly vulnerable and tap into their deepest strengths. Birthing people deserve to be at the center, surrounded by services and supports provided by a diverse team. Finally, BMHW engaged art, creativity, and joy that are gifts that should infuse all of our work. This work is special and health care providers, including doulas, deserve to be supported by policies, systems, and administrative teams that enable them to serve birthing people in the best way possible.

The Maternal Health Learning and Innovation Center (MHLIC) is committed to Black moms and all moms year-round. We exist to help states, organizations and providers change the narrative so that the United States is the best place for birth, regardless of race, ethnicity, income, ability, geography, or gender expression. Now is the time! We have big plans for the summer – stay tuned for a wealth of new resources, opportunities to connect, and support. Together, we can make change happen.


We are all at this conference to create and birth something – it doesn’t have to be a child. Reproductive justice means also being able to create something safely. ” – Monica Simpson


News from Black Maternal Health Week:

White House Issues A Proclamation on 2021 Black Maternal Health Week

Blog Post from MHLIC – Reflection: Black Maternal Health Week

White House Fact Sheet Announcing Initial Efforts to Improve Black Maternal Health

Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021

Vice President Harris Hosts a White House Roundtable on Black Women’s Maternal Health
The American Black Maternal Health Crisis

The health care industry doesn’t realize the impact its biases have on the quality of health care. Thankfully, people are waking up… – Dr. Laura Riley


Visit Our Resource Center for Black Maternal Health Resources, including:

  • State Strategies to Address the Black Maternal Health Crisis by National Academy for State Health Policy
  • Black Birthing Bill of Rights by National Association to Advance Black Birth
  • Black Mamas Matter Respectful Maternal Health Care Toolkit by Black Mamas Matter Alliance and the Center for Reproductive Rights
  • Cultural Humility and Black Maternal Health in Historical Context by Dr. Jann Murray-Garcia

“Birthing is raw creative energy and we should stop trying to control it.” – Crystal Irby


BMMA Recap from Black Maternal Health Week 2021, #BMHW21

Click here for more recaps from #BMHW21.

Learn more about Black Mamas Matter Alliances’ Black Maternal Health Conference here.

Please consider donating to BMMA.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Black Mamas Matter Alliance (@blackmamasmatter)

Download from Google Play

Visit BMMA’s website and follow them on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Written by:
Sarah Verbiest, Kelli Sheppard, and Suzanne Woodward
Published on:
April 20, 2021

Categories: Blog

Footer

Copyright © 2023 · Maternal Health Learning & Innovation Center · All Rights Reserved
Website by Tomatillo Design
UNC Logo
This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number U7CMC33636 State Maternal Health Innovation Support and Implementation Program Cooperative Agreement. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government.
subscribe-image Read Our Newsletter