This Saturday, April 15, 2023, SisterSong, the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Inc. (BMMA), and the Atlanta Doula Collective (ADC) will host a Black Maternal Health Walk in Westside Park, Atlanta, Georgia, in celebration of the third annual Black Maternal Health Week (April 11 - 17, 2023).

Open to the public, the Black Maternal Health Walk will feature a 1.2-mile walk and a day full of wellness activities, maternal and reproductive health education sessions, music, prizes, and more — all in support of Black Maternal Health.

"We’re proud to collaborate with partners to bring the Atlanta community together in support of Black maternal health,” said Monica Simpson, Executive Director of SisterSong and Founding Board Member of Black Mamas Matter Alliance. “Across the country, maternal mortality is higher for us as Black women; and we see the effects of this acutely in Georgia, a state with one of the highest maternal mortality rates, and an especially high rate for Black women. Together, we are working to spread awareness about these staggering statistics and fight for solutions. This is all part of our vision for Reproductive Justice, in which every person who chooses to have children can do so knowing that they will be cared for equitably throughout their pregnancy and not only survive as mothers, but thrive.”

The theme of this year’s Black Maternal Health Week (#BMHW23) is “Our Bodies Belong to Us: Restoring Black Autonomy and Joy!” Founded and led by BMMA in an effort to build awareness, activism, and community-building around the perspectives and experiences of Black mothers and birthing people, Black Maternal Health Week is in its third year. Intentionally held in April, National Minority Health Month, Black Maternal Health Week joins dozens of global organizations marking April 11 every year as International Day for Maternal Health and Rights.

According to the CDC, Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than White women. A variety of factors contribute to these statistics, including limited access to quality healthcare, the health impact of structural racism, underlying chronic conditions, and implicit bias in healthcare providers.

Poor access to healthcare for Black pregnant people also has lifelong consequences for Black babies. This year, Mississippi reported a 900 percent increase of babies born with syphilis, with Black babies being diagnosed at a rate four times higher than White babies. Syphilis can cause serious complications and health problems for babies born with the disease. For many Black Mississippians, proper screening and treatment is not happening in time to save lives and prevent complications.

“BMMA is proud to team up with our Alliance partners SisterSong and Atlanta Doula Collective to invite the Atlanta community to walk a mile with us in support of improving maternal health outcomes for Black women and birthing people," said Angela D. Aina, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Black Mamas Matter Alliance. "As we reckon with the upending of Roe V. Wade and the relentless attacks against reproductive rights and bodily autonomy, the theme for this year’s Black Maternal Health Week campaign and the Walk — Our Bodies Belong to Us: Restoring Black Autonomy and Joy — speaks to our strength, power and resilience, and our unassailable right to live freely, safely, and joyfully.”