Black Maternal Health Week 2023

News Provided by Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Inc (BMMA)

NATIONAL – On Tuesday, April 11, 2023 the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Inc. (BMMA) will kick off its 6th annual Black Maternal Health Week (BMHW23) campaign with the introduction of the organization’s new comprehensive issues and values-based policy agenda, Black Mamas Matter: In Policy and Practice.

Black Mamas Matter: In Policy and Practice is organized into six overarching policy issues that are central to the work that BMMA partners do across the country and represent the issues on which BMMA is frequently asked to engage and endorse legislation. They include:

1) Structural and Social Determinants of Black Maternal Health
2) Full Spectrum Maternal, Sexual, and Reproductive Healthcare
3) Black Maternal, Reproductive, and Perinatal Workforce Development
4) Criminalization of Black Women, Birthing People, and Families
5) Research and Data Transformation
6) Black Women and Birthing People’s Leadership

BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH WEEK EVENTS

On Wednesday, April 12th at 12:30 p.m. EDT, BMMA will host a “Virtual Policy Day Rally” featuring state and federal policy champions, as well as Black maternal and reproductive health advocates, care providers, researchers, and birth workers to amplify issues highlighted in BMMA’s policy agenda, as well as inform and galvanize the public around legislative priorities and opportunities that would advance policy and systems change, and improve maternal health outcomes for Black women and birthing people. To register for the Virtual Rally, visit here.

Launched by BMMA in 2018, Black Maternal Health Week is a week-long initiative held from Tuesday, April 11th through Monday, April 17th that amplifies Black and Black women-led efforts across the U.S. and globally to improve and advance maternal health, rights, and justice for Black mothers and birthing people. Black Maternal Health Week takes place each year during National Minority Health Month and coincides with the International Day for Maternal Health and Rights on April 11th. The theme for this year’s campaign is, “Our Bodies Belong to Us: Restoring Black Autonomy and Joy,” which captures the ethos and spirit behind collective efforts to amplify the voices, perspectives and lived experiences of Black women and birthing people.

“As we reckon with the upending of Roe V. Wade and the relentless attacks against reproductive rights and bodily autonomy, this year’s Black Maternal Health Week campaign speaks to our strength, power and resilience, and our unassailable right to live freely, safely, and joyfully,” said Angela D. Aina, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Black Mamas Matter Alliance. “Further, BMMA’s policy agenda is both the culmination and continuation of the work being led by our Alliance partners to end the maternal health crisis in the United States, and offers sound, evidence-based policy recommendations that would genuinely support and advance the Black maternal and perinatal workforce.”

Building upon its commitment to improve Black maternal health across the country, Black Maternal Health Week 2023 Sponsor Baby Dove will unveil their latest initiative – the NEW Black Doula Directory, developed in collaboration with Sista Midwife Productions. This new accessible online resource will limit barriers to accessing Black doulas who can provide culturally competent care that acknowledges the unique experiences of Black families. BMMA will co-host a virtual panel discussion with Baby Dove on Thursday, April 13th at 2:30 p.m. EDT to discuss the launch of the Black Doula Directory. To learn more and sign-up for the session, please visit the pre-registration link here.

“We are honored to partner with Black Mamas Matter Alliance and join the conversation about transforming Black maternal health in the U.S,” says Neha Minj, Brand Director for Baby Dove.“ Through Baby Dove’s Black Birth Equity Fund, we are continuing to provide new and expectant Black moms with financial access to doula services, which is proven to significantly increase positive outcomes for Black moms, birthing individuals and their babies. We look forward to unveiling Baby Dove’s latest initiative next week during our virtual session and sharing more details about the new Black Doula Directory.”

Additional #BMHW23 sponsors include Pampers – which is also sponsoring the April 15th “Black Maternal Health Walk” in Atlanta, Georgia – First Response Pregnancy, Merck for Mothers, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), Every Mother Counts, Funders for Birth Justice & Equity, the National Institute for Children’s Health Quality (NICHQ), Mahmee, and California Health Care Foundation (CHCF).

*The full schedule of #BMHW23 digital and in-person events and programming is available HERE.

About the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Inc. (BMMA):

BMMA is a national network of Black women-led organizations and multi-disciplinary professionals who work to ensure that all Black Mamas have the rights, respect, and resources to thrive before, during, and after pregnancy. BMMA honors the work and historical contributions of Black women’s leadership within their communities and values the need to amplify this work on a national scale. For this reason, BMMA does not have chapters. The alliance is composed of existing organizations and individuals whose work is deeply rooted in reproductive justice, birth justice, and human rights frameworks.

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