At IBBG, we start from what should be non-negotiable: Black women deserve to feel safe, heard, and cared for at every step of their birthing journey.
And yet, here in Nebraska and across the country, we know that the systems meant to care for us have caused real harm. It shows up in how Black women are dismissed, overlooked, and forced to navigate pregnancy, birth, and postpartum without the support we need or deserve.
In Nebraska, Black babies are about twice as likely to die before their first birthday compared to white babies (March of Dimes). That reality doesn’t exist in isolation. It reflects the conditions Black women are navigating before, during, and after birth, and those conditions impact entire families and communities.
Our work exists to change that.
As we recognize National Black Maternal Health Week, founded by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, we are part of a much larger movement. A movement grounded in community leadership, accountability, and the knowledge that Black women and their families should not have to fight to receive quality care.
At IBBG, that looks like investing in community-based birth workers, building the base of full-spectrum doulas including passing policy for their reimbursement, and creating space for Black women to share their stories in their own words. We trust the people closest to the issue to lead and to resource them accordingly.
This year, under the theme “Rooted in Justice & Joy,” we continue to center the voices and lived experiences of Black women. From our 3rd Annual Heart, Sole, & Roll Community Stroll to the screening of Listen to Me, a documentary amplifying first-person stories from Black women navigating pregnancy, birth, and care, we are creating opportunities for Black women to shape their care and the systems around it.
These realities are why this movement exists.
Let’s be clear: This is about power.
The power to make decisions about our own bodies. The power to shape the systems that impact our lives. The power to ensure that Black maternal health is treated as a priority, not an afterthought.
Shifting that kind of power requires investment. It means investing in Black-led solutions, prioritizing sustained funding for care that is grounded in community, and ensuring the people who have always led this work are heard, trusted, and resourced. To date, we have moved over $1 million to build and support the reproductive wellbeing ecosystem in Nebraska. And still, the need remains greater than the investment. If we want different outcomes, we have to fund them and the folks closest to the opportunities. We invite you to invest in this movement to continue building the future of care our communities deserve.
Black mothers have always been at the forefront, holding families, shaping communities, and pushing us forward. During Black Maternal Health Week and beyond, when we back that leadership with real resources and real accountability, we create the conditions where Black women, babies, and families can not only survive, but thrive.
In community,
Ashlei Spivey
Executive Director
IBBG