Safety and Justice for Black Birthing People Coalition

In partnership with Ujima: The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community and Black women leaders in Black maternal and reproductive health and Black liberation, The National Health Resource Center on Domestic Violence convenes the Safety and Justice for Black Birthing People Coalition.

The mission of the Safety & Justice for Black Birthing People Coalition is to center the lived experiences of people at the intersection of racism and other interlocking systems of oppression,  interpersonal violence, and maternal health and use culturally responsive and actionable tools to improve care and health outcomes of Black birthing people.

Our priorities are to:

1. Convene subject matter experts, survivors, community organizations, and practitioners to examine the intersection of domestic violence, racism, and maternal morbidity and mortality to increase access to respectful, dignified, and trauma-informed care. 
2. Identify actionable strategies to support Black birthing survivors.
3. Advocate for legislation that advances health equity for Black birthing people, including accessible, affordable, and comprehensive care.
4. Increase knowledge through training and technical assistance for healthcare providers and those who provide care for Black birthing people.
5. Center and include Black birthing people in our work.
6. Promote culturally specific practice, traditions, and resources to improve Black maternal and child health.
7. Frame improving maternal health as critical to achieving reproductive justice.

Ultimately, through our collaboration we hope to:

1. Reduce the number of Black birthing people who are impacted by the intersection of racism, interpersonal violence, and poor maternal health outcomes.
2. Reduce preventable infant mortality.
3. Improve child health and resiliency and reduce Adverse Childhood Experiences.
4. Improve maternal mental health with a focus on prevention and early intervention.

For more information or to be a part of this important work contact Virginia Duplessis vaduplessis@futureswithoutviolence.org. 

Related Resources:

• The Time to Act Is Now – The IPV & Black Maternal Health Crises Can’t Wait Any Longer  
  • Blog post by Futures Without Violence
    
• Racism, Domestic Violence & Black Maternal Mortality – What Can Advocates Do?
  • Webinar hosted by UJIMA and co-sponsored by Futures Without Violence
• Racism, IPV + Improving Health Outcomes for Black Birthing People 
  • Plenary session at the 2020 National Conference on Health & Domestic Violence
• 2021 Virtual Hill Briefing: Maternal Mortality and Intimate Partner Violence 
  • Webinar hosted by the National Health Collaborative on Violence & Abuse              
• Maternal Health Learning and Innovation Center Black Maternal Health Momnibus Bill 
• Kimberly Seals Allers has launched the Irth app to capture the experiences of Black and Brown women and birthing people