Black Maternal Health Week emphasizes the power of Black-led reproductive health organizations to drive systemic change and foster community healing. Provide Executive Director Fatimah Gifford joins a global community of Black leaders in speaking up about why #BlackMamasMatter.

Too many Black mothers are dying – and that’s a problem. When we fight for Black maternal health, we fight for justice, equity, and a future where every mother gets the care they deserve.

Black Maternal Health Week matters because it shines a light on a crisis that’s too often ignored: Black women are 3-4x more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women in the U.S. — and most of those deaths are preventable.

This matters. It’s urgent, and it affects us all.

At Provide, we talk about connecting the dots across systems of care. When it comes to Black maternal health, understanding the intersections of anti-Blackness and different types of stigmatized care could not be more important.

Stigma silences. It isolates. And it creates barriers to care that can be deadly.

When reproductive care is stigmatized—including birthing, abortion, and miscarriage support—the harm is always multiplied for Black women and birthing people. We see that in the consistently high rates of maternal mortality and morbidity.

But where stigma silences, community and collaboration can heal. Continuity of care is critical in addressing the significant disparities in Black maternal health. Research shows that consistent and coordinated healthcare is significantly associated with lower mortality and leads to better outcomes for Black mothers.

This week is about more than raising awareness—it’s about demanding action, amplifying Black voices, and investing in the health, dignity, and survival of Black mothers and birthing people. It emphasizes that Black-led efforts are essential because Black leaders bring lived experience, cultural insight, and community trust—things that no policy or program can replicate. Provide stands alongside Black-led movements because dismantling reproductive health disparities requires centering those most impacted. 

This work isn’t charity — it’s justice. It’s about transforming a system that was never built for everyone into one that is equitable, compassionate, and truly responsive to every person’s dignity and right to care.