The urgent and intensifying crisis within maternal and infant health, marked by alarming racial disparities, demands systemic and deeply entrenched solutions. Connect with the Center for Birth Justice (CBJ) to access community-informed research, compelling data, and opportunities for authentic partnership that can catalyze meaningful changes in healthcare policies and practices. We are committed to advancing birth justice for Black women and birthing people, understanding that dismantling racist structures driving health inequities will simultaneously improve outcomes and conditions for all.
Despite strides in medical advancements, Black women and birthing individuals consistently face disproportionate adverse outcomes before, during, and after pregnancy and childbirth. Black women and birthing people face a three to fourfold higher likelihood of succumbing to pregnancy-related complications compared to their white counterparts, a statistic that persists across income and education levels. Racism is the root cause, deeply embedded across all systems leading to these disparate outcomes. Urgent action is imperative to dismantle these systemic barriers, acknowledging the failures of traditional research and championing a more inclusive, community-driven approach to address this escalating crisis by ensuring there is a bridge between research findings and actionable change.
Authentic Community Partnership: We recognize that the solutions we seek can typically be found directly in the communities themselves. We commit to creating the conditions necessary for meaningful engagement, including community as part of decision-making and sharing decision-making power, leaning heavily into the “nothing about us without us” frame. Our policy efforts are consistently informed by those most impacted, particularly Black women and birthing people.
Centering Lived Experience: We understand that conventional research approaches risk overshadowing the invaluable wisdom and knowledge held within the communities directly impacted by these critical issues. We aim to empower people with lived experiences to lead the work that relates to them.
Anti-racism and Justice: We commit to consistently applying an anti-racism and justice-focused lens to all areas of our work. We ensure our work is rooted in justice by considering how actions are positively impacting Black and Brown women and birthing people. Evidence mounts that structural and interpersonal racism are the root cause of poor birth outcomes in Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC).
Strengths-Based Approach: We apply a strengths-based approach, continuously looking for strengths and assets within communities burdened by maternal and infant disparities, as opposed to deficits.
Collaborative Action: We believe in the power of working together to achieve our shared mission and goals. We foster mutual respect, honor each other’s strengths, and engage in cross-sector collaboration that invites wisdom and working together across disciplines to achieve greater impact. We are stronger when we each lend our best capacity and work to others.
Policy Relevance: We are dedicated to ensuring our research findings catalyze meaningful changes in healthcare policies and contribute to effective policy change. All our efforts are informed by those most impacted. We utilize different research methods, including Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR), coalition building, capacity strengthening, communications, and targeted advocacy to catalyze effective policy change at the institutional, local, state and national levels.
Together, we can spread community-partnered and anti-racist practices to create lasting change.