This Juneteenth, we celebrate the emancipation of all African American people from forced enslavement and honor the enduring fight for liberation that made it possible.
On June 19th, 1865, enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, Texas, were finally freed more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1963. (Source) We now mark this day not just as history, but as a reminder of how far we still have to go.
Juneteenth cannot be just one day of commemoration. It must be a collective and continuing commitment, particularly as Black mothers and birthing people still navigate a healthcare system riddled with implicit bias, unequal treatment, and inadequate support. Black families continue to face the compounding weight of systemic racism, medical misogyny, and generations of institutional harm. The data is stark: Black mothers die from pregnancy-related causes at nearly three times the rate of white mothers, 44.8 per 100,000 births compared to 14.2. (Source) This is an urgent public health crisis that demands action.
We also honor the legacy of Black midwives and healers who, even under slavery and its aftermath, when Black women were horrifically denied bodily autonomy and basic care, kept African healing traditions alive and were the backbone of their communities. (Source) Doulas carry that lineage forward today, and the research confirms what communities have always known: a multi-state study published in eClinicalMedicine found that women who received doula care had nearly 53% lower odds of cesarean delivery and 57% lower odds of postpartum depression or anxiety. (Source) Their expanding role in maternal care is long overdue.
At 4th Trimester, we stand in solidarity with Black mothers, birthing people, and families, and we remain committed to building the postpartum world they deserve.
Our Community
This work doesn’t happen in isolation. We are proud to stand alongside organizations who share our commitment to Black maternal health and birth equity, and whose work we amplify every day:
- Frontline Doulas — Providing compassionate, culturally responsive doula care to families who need it most
- Black Women for Wellness — Advancing health justice and empowerment for Black women and girls
- Black Infants and Families Los Angeles — United in one purpose: ending the unacceptably high rates of Black infant and maternal deaths in L.A. County
- birthFUND — Advancing midwifery, grants through birthFund provide mothers with holistic perinatal care and midwifery birth support services
We encourage you to follow, support, and uplift their work.
