Research has repeatedly confirmed that black mothers and babies have the worst childbirth outcomes in the United States regardless of income level.(“Childbirth is Deadlier for Black Families Even When They’re Rich, Expansive Study Finds,” New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/02/12/upshot/child-maternal-mortality-rich-poor.html?smid=url-share). Research has also shown that these health and mortality disparities are reduced when mothers and infants receive racially concordant care. (“Physician-patient racial concordance and disparities in birthing mortality for newborns”, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United State of America: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.191340511). 

Access to black midwife services can provide black families with even more options outside of traditional hospital environments where even those families who are able to find a black OB/GYN will be exposed to a wide variety of other healthcare providers, decision makers, and gatekeepers. Unfortunately, in 2019, Midwives who identified as black or African-American made up only 6.85% of the Certified Nurse Midwives and Certified Midwives in the U.S. (“American Midwifery Certification Board – 2020 Demographic Report,” https://www.amcbmidwife.org/docs/default-source/reports/demographic-report-2019.pdf?sfvrsn=23f30668_4).

Midwives for Black Lives works to increase the number of black midwives practicing in the U.S. by providing financial and other support to black students who pursue midwifery education, certification, and licensing by engaging in the following five main activities: 1) Reviewing applications and awarding scholarships, 2) Collecting scholarship applications from black midwifery students, 3) Fostering connection and nonmonetary support for black midwifery students, 4) Fundraising and other administrative , and 5) Collect and compile data regarding black midwifery students. 

Between August 27, 2020 and December 31, 2022, Midwives for Black Lives awarded a total of $50,165 to 48 black midwifery students or recent graduates as detailed in the chart below:

Because the organization has been run by a volunteer board and pro-bono legal counsel, we were able to keep overhead expenses down to an absurdly low 1.8% - just transaction fees charged on the donations that came through PayPal and annual website hosting. In 2023, we incurred our largest expense to date when we paid $600.00 to the IRS to complete our 501(c)(3) application!

When you give to Midwives for Black Lives, the overwhelming majority of your donation goes directly into the hands of a black midwifery student to help her meet whatever her most pressing educational needs are and increase the likelihood of her completing her program and becoming qualified to serve black families.

Midwives for Black Lives is a New Mexico nonprofit corporation with tax exempt status under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations to Midwives for Black Lives are tax deductible.