Black Maternal Health Week 2025: Honoring Legacies, Advancing Justice
Every year during Black Maternal Health Week (April 11–17), we come together with urgency, purpose, and hope. In 2025, the theme—“Healing Legacies: Strengthening Black Maternal Health Through Collective Action and Advocacy”—invited us to uplift Black-led wisdom and demand the policies and resources Black Mamas and birthing people deserve.
At State Innovation Exchange (SiX), we met this moment with action.
Centering Legislator Voices and Black-Led Leadership
Working alongside the Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA) and the National Organization of Black Elected Legislative (NOBEL) Women, we proudly supported state legislators in introducing Black Maternal Health Week resolutions and proclamations in nearly 20 states. These efforts garnered national and local media attention, underscoring the urgent need for systemic change.
In Colorado, State Director Maggie Gómez coordinated a powerful proclamation and tribute honoring local leaders at Soul 2 Soul Sisters, Elephant Circle, and Sister-To-Sister. In Nevada, State Director Stacey Shinn supported Assemblymember Linda Hunt’s efforts to mark the week with an official proclamation.
And in Michigan, our State Director Tom Lenard backed Rep. Donavan McKinney’s moving op-ed, which shared his personal commitment to ending the Black maternal health crisis.
Lifting Bold Legislative Champions
This week, we also amplified the voices of 26 legislators from across the country who are leading the charge for Black maternal health. These messages, featured in a custom social media campaign by our Communications Team, reflected a deep commitment to justice and equity and were shared widely across SiX’s platforms and beyond.
From sample social posts to ready-to-use graphics, we equipped our network of over 12,000 state lawmakers with the tools to engage with Black Maternal Health Week and show up for their communities.
Driving Policy, Shaping Narrative
Throughout the week, SiX hosted and participated in key events that brought policy expertise and community experience together:
- Our Repro Rights Rapid Response Room featured legal and policy strategist Bridgette Jackson, JD, from In Our Own Voice.
- Dr. Sydney Jemmott, SiX’s Director of Reproductive Rights Policy, shared her insights on BMMA’s national panel, “Thriving in Black Maternal Health Policy and Advocacy.”
- Dr. Melissa Madera compiled a comprehensive research roundup on Black maternal health.
- Taryn Graves, our policy intern, wrote a powerful blog tracing the historical roots of reproductive injustice, from surveillance to systemic harm.
We also contributed to Project Michigan’s Lake Effect Poll, which elevated questions on midwifery education and economic support during pregnancy, critical issues for advancing maternal justice.
Our Commitment Moving Forward
Black Maternal Health Week is more than a week on the calendar. It’s a reminder of the structural inequities we must dismantle and the collective action we must sustain. At SiX, we are committed to advancing policy, centering community, and transforming power so that Black Mothers, families, and communities not only survive but thrive.
We’re proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with movement leaders, legislators, and advocates in this fight. Together, we’re healing legacies and building a future rooted in justice.
🖤 Learn more and keep the momentum going: blackmamasmatter.org/bmhw25