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April 2025
Volume 11 | Issue No. 95
Black women in the United States continue
to face maternal mortality rates nearly 3.5
times higher than their white counterparts,
according to the latest data from the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC). While overall U.S. maternal
mortality rates have declined since their
peak in 2021, Black maternal mortality
remains alarmingly high, with 50.3 deaths
per 100,000 live births recorded in 2023—
one of the highest rates among high-
income nations.
The social determinants of health
(SDOH)—such as access to care,
economic stability, and racial bias in
medical settings—continue to shape these
disparities. Research shows that more
than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths
are preventable, yet racial inequities
persist due to deeply embedded systemic
factors.
Amid these disparities, Black midwives and
doulas play an essential role in improving
maternal outcomes. Community-centered
birth workers, who have long provided
holistic, culturally aligned care, are at the
forefront of the birth justice movement—a
framework that recognizes childbirth as a
human rights issue and seeks to address
the structural barriers leading to poor
maternal health outcomes.
The Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA),
a national organization advocating for
Black maternal health, convenes experts
to discuss these pressing challenges.
BMMA emphasizes that those most
directly affected by a problem are best
positioned to create solutions. The term
"Black mamas," as BMMA defines it, refers
to all people of African descent across
the diaspora, including those who are
transgender or gender-nonconforming.
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"As we continue to have these conversations, we must shift our
focus from blaming Black mothers to dismantling the systemic
barriers that have historically denied them equitable care."
- Jamarah Amani,
Executive director of the Southern Birth Justice Network
