BLACK BIRTHWORKERS COMMUNITY
The goal of Maternal Mental Health NOW’s Black Birthworkers Community is to build capacity, create community, and provide support to Black birth workers in order to improve access to holistic, culturally appropriate perinatal mental health care for Los Angeles County’s Black birthing population. Under the leadership of a 12-person Advisory Council, the Black Birthworkers Community organizes events and initiatives that provide opportunities for care, celebration, support and connection between members of the Black workforce serving LA’s Black birthing community.
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Our Community in Action
The Black Birthworkers Community is a collective of doulas, midwives, lactation consultants, perinatal mental health providers, and other care professionals who center Black birthing people and families. Together, we create a supportive ecosystem that honors cultural traditions, uplifts the voices of Black birthworkers, and ensures families have access to affirming, holistic, and high-quality care. This work spans from direct perinatal support to advocacy, education, and resource-sharing that strengthen both individual families and the broader community.
Key initiatives include the Enrichment Fund, which provides resources to sustain and uplift Black birthworkers; the Generational Wealth Series, designed to build pathways for economic empowerment; and a growing number of community events that center joy and resilience, offering spaces for healing, connection, and restoration. These efforts not only support birthworkers’ well-being but also help lay the foundation for thriving families and stronger networks of care. Stay tuned for updates on upcoming events and activities, as the Black Birthworkers Community continues to expand its impact and collective vision.
Want more information or to connect? Contact [email protected]
HISTORY
The Black Birthworkers Community is a direct response to the Perinatal Mental Health Conference for Black Birthworkers, Providers & Clinicians that Maternal Mental Health NOW and iDREAM for Racial Health Equity hosted in May 2021. The conference was the culminating event of the Improving Perinatal Mental Health Outcomes for Pregnant and Postpartum Black Birthing People in LA County project. The conference had 188 attendees, including mental health professionals, doulas, lactation consultants, parent and childbirth educators, nurses, home visitors, midwives, and physicians. Overwhelming feedback from conference participants included requests to have additional opportunities to learn, network, celebrate and care for other Black birth workers on an ongoing basis.