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Deep South Delivers
Our Mission
The Solutions
Our Mission
The Alabama Birth Equity Initiative is a statewide Black women-led, community-driven effort to radically shift Alabama’s maternal health outcomes through a holistic, Reproductive Justice-centered approach. Led by Yellowhammer Fund, in collaboration with Margins: Women Helping Black Women, Oasis Women’s Health, Chocolate Milk Mommies, and
The Alabama Birth Equity Initiative is a statewide Black women-led, community-driven effort to radically shift Alabama’s maternal health outcomes through a holistic, Reproductive Justice-centered approach. Led by Yellowhammer Fund, in collaboration with Margins: Women Helping Black Women, Oasis Women’s Health, Chocolate Milk Mommies, and Alabama Birth Center, this initiative addresses the full spectrum of needs that impact birth outcomes. Beyond service provision, this initiative is about shifting power, building autonomy, and creating long-term systemic change. By integrating midwifery training, mutual aid, leadership development, and policy advocacy, we aim to build a self-sustaining model for birth equity that can be replicated across the Deep South.
The Problem
The Solutions
Our Mission
Alabama was deemed the worst place to have a child in the U.S. (Commonwealth Fund, 2022), with the state accounting for nearly half of all pregnancy criminalization cases where black women are targeted by punitive and biased policies and are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. More than one-third
Alabama was deemed the worst place to have a child in the U.S. (Commonwealth Fund, 2022), with the state accounting for nearly half of all pregnancy criminalization cases where black women are targeted by punitive and biased policies and are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. More than one-third of Alabama counties lack obstetric services, forcing families into maternal health deserts. Midwives and doulas are blocked by restrictive licensing laws and denied Medicaid reimbursement. Instead of access to culturally competent, community-based care, families are met with systemic racism, policy neglect, and economic insecurity (National Institutes of Health, 2022; CDC, 2023).
The Solutions
The Solutions
The Solutions
Alabama Birth Equity Initiative (ABEI)—a coalition led by Black women—is reshaping maternal health through mutual aid and policy advocacy that addresses urgent crises while dismantling systemic barriers. Anchored by Yellowhammer Fund, and joined by Chocolate Milk Mommies, Margins: Women Helping Black Women, Alabama Birth Center, and Oasis
Alabama Birth Equity Initiative (ABEI)—a coalition led by Black women—is reshaping maternal health through mutual aid and policy advocacy that addresses urgent crises while dismantling systemic barriers. Anchored by Yellowhammer Fund, and joined by Chocolate Milk Mommies, Margins: Women Helping Black Women, Alabama Birth Center, and Oasis Women’s Center, ABEI is driving a bold statewide movement to expand access to culturally affirming perinatal care, repeal harmful “chemical endangerment” laws that criminalize pregnancy, and remove barriers that restrict midwifery and doula services.
