My Heart, My Why — Writing My First Blog During Black Maternal Health Week 2025

If I’m honest, I’ve gone back and forth about when I would sit down and write my very first blog. But today... right now... during Black Maternal Health Week — it just feels right.

As a Black mother

As a Black doula

As a Black woman who cares deeply about my community...

What better time than now?

This year's theme “Healing Legacies: Strengthening Black Maternal Health Through Collective Action and Advocacy"

is powerful and necessary.

This week isn’t just another health awareness week to me — it’s personal. It’s a reminder of why I show up, why I speak up, and why I do this work. It’s about honoring those who came before us, holding space for those navigating their journey right now, and building something better for those coming after us.

Honestly, being a Black mother in America comes with a reality that many don’t talk enough about.

→ Black women are 3 to 4 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes.

→ Infant mortality rate for Black babies is more than double than other races.

→ Black mothers are too often unheard, dismissed, and neglected in medical spaces.

This isn’t just happening somewhere far away. It’s happening in our cities, our hospitals, our neighborhoods.

And it angers me. It angers me because it’s preventable. It hurts because it’s rooted in racism, bias, and broken systems. Its injustice that so many of our stories go unheard until it’s too late.

As A Doula, I Can’t Be Silent

This work isn’t trendy for me — it’s purpose work.

As a doula, I get to walk alongside Black mothers and families during some of their most sacred and vulnerable moments. And while I love what I do, I also carry the weight of knowing that just being a Black mother puts them at higher risk in a system that wasn’t built with them in mind. That’s why education, advocacy, and community care are at the core of what I do.

I believe in us.....

Healing our community may look like, educating Black birthing people on their rights, teaching families how to advocate for themselves without fear, challenging healthcare providers to do better and pushing for policies that protect us.

There's so much work to do, Black Maternal Health Week reminds me that I’m not in this fight alone. There are so many of us — doulas, midwives, mothers, fathers, partners, advocates, and allies — doing the work, speaking up, showing up, and pouring into our community.

We all have a role to play. Whether it’s donating to Black-led organizations, sharing resources, voting for policies that protect Black families, or simply listening to a Black mother’s story without judgment — it all matters.

I believe in a future where Black mothers are heard, respected, supported, and celebrated.

I believe in creating safe spaces where Black families feel seen and held.

I believe in healing — not just for us today — but for generations to come.

Because when we heal Black mothers...We heal Black families. We heal Black communities. We heal legacies.