The Black Maternal Health Federal Policy Collective

About

The Black Maternal Health Federal Policy Collective, founded by Dr. Jamila Taylor in February 2021, leads the strategic advancement of Black maternal health through federal policy, from inception to implementation. The Collective is a go-to resource for policymakers, advocates, the press, and the public.

We aim to ensure that the voices and needs of Black mothers, femmes, and birthing people are heard and central to the policymaking process. The Collective works tirelessly to illuminate the critical issues at the heart of Black maternal health, fostering an environment of understanding, action, and change.
Our vision beyond policy change is that of a transformative shift in the societal and systemic structures that contribute to maternal health disparities. Through collaboration, advocacy, and relentless pursuit of justice, the Collective seeks to not only influence policies but also to inspire a culture that embraces and prioritizes the health and well-being of all mothers.

Our mission is to lead the strategic advancement of Black maternal health through federal policy, from inception to implementation.

We do this in the following ways:

	Prioritize the lived experiences, needs, and the right to resources for our communities.
	Inform, influence, and center Black maternal health priorities in federal policy development and decision-making.
	Ensure accountability in policy implementation for Black birthing people.
	Build intentional relationships with key stakeholders.
	Leverage media to shift narratives on Black birthing people and parenthood.

Success over the Years

Since our inception in 2021, the Collective has been highly effective in carrying out our mission and has celebrated many wins. Some examples can be found below.

• 2021:
  • February | Began engagement with the White House Gender Policy Council and Domestic Policy Council on policy opportunities to improve maternal health outcomes, which continued throughout the year and directly informed the White House Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis.
  • March | Led advocacy for states to extend Medicaid coverage to one year postpartum, which ultimately resulted in that coverage being included in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
• 2022:
  • June | Published messaging guidance on the intersection of abortion access and Black maternal health.
  • August | Published an op-ed in Ms. Magazine about how overturning Roe v. Wade will exacerbate the Black maternal health crisis.
  • November | Hosted a virtual briefing, “Addressing an Urgent Crisis: Why Investment in Maternal Health is Needed Now More than Ever,” featuring a panel of Collective members.
• 2023:
  • April | Hosted an in-person briefing on Capitol Hill, “The Time Is Now: Congressional Action to Address Black Maternal Health,” featuring a panel of Collective members.
  • May | Celebrated the reintroduction of the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act in the 118th Congress.

We are an interdisciplinary collective of subject matter and policy experts who bring our unique lived experiences as Black women and femmes to our work. We are presidents, executives, and early- to mid-career professionals grounded in the reproductive justice, birth justice, and intersectionality frameworks.

The Collective’s Issue Area Priorities

	Decriminalization of pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, and parenthood.
	Diversification of the perinatal workforce (including doulas, midwives, community health workers, and physicians) to improve racial and ethnic concordance.
	Ensuring high-quality maternal health care for incarcerated pregnant people.
	Expanding and ensuring equitable access to abortion care.
	Increased funding for research on, and ensuring equitable access to, respectful diagnosis and treatment of uterine fibroids, endometriosis, and polycystic ovarian syndrome.
	Investments in breast/chestfeeding and lactation support, including equitable insurance reimbursement and paid leave.
	Nonpunitive support for pregnant, postpartum, and parenting people who use substances.
	Passage and equitable implementation of Medicaid reimbursement for doula care.
	Prioritization of mental health services and support for perinatal and parenting people.
	Sustainable funding for community-based maternal health organizations.

Relevant Resources

• The Intersection of Abortion Access and Black Maternal Health: This fact sheet was created to help ensure that reporting on the intersection of these two issues is done responsibly and accurately.
• Overturning Roe Will Exacerbate the Black Maternal Mortality Crisis. It’s Time for Our Leaders to Act: Ms. Magazine published an op-ed written by the Collective on how overturning Roe v. Wade will exacerbate the Black maternal health crisis.
• Working to Expand Doula Coverage This Black Maternal Health Week: Black Maternal Health Week provides an opportunity to highlight policy solutions to improve and expand coverage of Black-led, community-based doula care.
• Black Reproductive Autonomy Is in Jeopardy: Black women have historically experienced disparate outcomes in infertility, as well as in infant and maternal mortality. The pandemic and the fall of Roe have only made things worse. How can the health care system be reimagined to meet the needs of the most marginalized?
• Maternal Health Care For Black Women, by Black Women: This commentary by Mamatoto Village is part of Partners in Maternal Health and Birth Justice, a series supported by the Commonwealth Fund spotlighting community-based organizations that work toward maternal health equity.
• Investing in Breastfeeding Will Advance Health Equity: Breastfeeding initiation, duration, and exclusivity rates remain dismal, especially among historically and systematically marginalized communities. Expanding and promoting federal policy could yield transformational solutions.
• New Fibroids Policy Must Be Part of the Black Maternal Health Agenda: This piece strengthens discussions of Black women and fibroids and the U.S. maternal health crisis, by describing the severity of the condition for Black women in particular, and by presenting and analyzing the socioeconomic justice and policy reforms necessary for improved coverage and care.
• Tracking Progress of the Black Maternal Health Momnibus: The Black Maternal Health Momnibus, reintroduced in the 118th Congress in May 2023, is an ambitious and critical package of legislation that aims to address the maternal health crisis facing the United States. This tracker, which is updated regularly, describes the objective and status of each of the thirteen bills.
• What States Can Do To Improve Black Maternal Mental Health: The nation’s policymakers need to do more to ensure that Black mothers have the mental health care they need to survive and thrive during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
• Structural Racism as a Root Cause of America’s Black Maternal Health Crisis: On May 6, 2021, Dr. Jamila Taylor, former director of health care reform and senior fellow at The Century Foundation, testified before the House Oversight and Reform Committee for their hearing, “Birthing While Black: Examining America’s Black Maternal Health Crisis.” Dr. Taylor’s testimony is reproduced here.

To learn more or get connected with the Collective, please visit: https://tcf.org/black-maternal-health-federal-policy-collective/

Contact: Vina Smith-Ramakrishnan at [email protected]

Tags: Reproductive Health Care, black maternal health, reproductivejustice