Black Maternal Health Week is a week-long campaign founded by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance to build awareness, activism, and community-building to amplify the voices, perspectives, and lived experiences of Black Mamas and birthing people. The week is intentionally held during National Minority Health Month and begins on April 11th annually to join dozens of global organizations in marking this day as International Day for Maternal Health and Rights – an opportunity to advocate for the elimination of maternal mortality globally. The activities and conversations hosted throughout the week intentionally center the values and traditions of the reproductive and birth justice movements. As partners with the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, we serve as Philadelphia region leaders in planning and implementing programming for Black Maternal Health Week annually.

The official theme for Black Maternal Health Week 2023: “Our Bodies Belong to Us: Restoring Black Autonomy and Joy!”
In light of the steadily alarming rise of maternal mortality in the U.S., which recent data shows has been exacerbated by the pandemic; and amidst growing cases of clear neglect in care in hospital systems immediately after labor and delivery, we continue to highlight and center culturally-congruent practices with a focus on Black Midwifery care and full-spectrum Black-led Doula care as sound, evidence-based solutions. Most importantly, these are practices and solutions that incorporate the true needs, wants, and desires of Black women and birthing people.