In this Issue: 

The African American Infant and Maternal Mortality (AAIMM) Prevention Initiative is proudly supporting the sixth celebration of Black Maternal Health Week (BMHW), April 11-17, which was once again recognized by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, and April 16, 2023
proclaimed “The Day of the Black Infant."

Founded and led by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA), BMHW is a week of awareness, activism, and community building. This year’s AAIMM campaign and activities for Black Maternal Health Week serve to amplify the voices of Black Mamas/Birthing Persons and center the values and traditions of the reproductive and birth justice movements.

Our goal is to shine a spotlight on the urgent need to uplift Black families as we continue working to grow our village of support for Black mamas/birthing persons and their infants. 

From Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA):

We are thrilled to reveal the official​ theme for Black Maternal Health Week 2023 (#BMHW23):​ “Our Bodies Belong to Us: Restoring Black Autonomy and Joy!” ​In light of the steadily alarming rise of maternal mortality in the U.S., which recent data shows has been exacerbated by the pandemic; and amidst growing cases of clear neglect in care in hospital systems immediately after labor and delivery, BMMA continues to highlight and center culturally-congruent practices with a focus on Black Midwifery care and full-spectrum Black-led Doula care as sound, evidence-based solutions. Most importantly, these are practices and solutions that incorporate the true needs, wants and desires of Black women and birthing people.

The African American Infant and Maternal Mortality (AAIMM) Prevention Initiative is aligning our 2023 campaign with messaging around the importance of growing the greater village of support around Black women/birthing persons before, during, and after birth in order to help support healthy and joyous birthing outcomes. As we support the efforts of BMMA during BMHW, we will also be sharing events from organizations within our network — including those hosted by our AAIMM Community Action Teams — creating social media posts and digital content, and providing information, which will enable us to get closer to our goal of bringing about more equitable birthing outcomes for ALL women. 

Please check our website hub this week for all event listings and other information, and feel free to share the link with your Village, and check our events calendar below:

Follow @blackinfantsandfamiliesla on Instagram for updates and use #BMHW23, and #GrowtheVillage to share your birthing journey with us. 

AAIMM Receives Award from the Health Care Leadership Council

Congratulations to the Los Angeles Department of Public Health (LADPH) or being honored with the Redefinining American Healthcare Award for our very own African American Infant and Maternal Mortality (AAIMM) Prevention Initiative! The awards ceremony is being held on Wednesday, April 12 from 10-11am PST at the California Endowment. 

RSVPs for the event are now closed, but photos will be shared on our social media channels when available. 

We are Growing the Village in 2023!

In the coming weeks, AAIMM is officially kicking off its Grow the Village campaign — which is our 2023 theme. We're already working internally to weave the Grow the Village messaging into all of our public-facing efforts and are keeping it top-of-mind as we strategize for 2023 and beyond. 

Building from our theme of "Healthy and Joyous Births Take a Village," AAIMM expanded to reach expectant mothers and birthing persons with our "Activate Your Village" call-to-action and shared tools and resources to do so, including our "Activate Your Village" Trimester Tip Guide. In 2022, we encouraged folks to "Be the Village" of support for Black mothers/birthing persons and their  families.

Now, we're encouraging you and others to help us grow our village of support for healthy and joyous births by:

• Activating Your Village
• Joining the AAIMM Village
• Advocating for Black Maternal & Infant Health

Keep a lookout as we continue to highlight our programs including the Doula Program, Fatherhood Program and our AAIMM Community Action Teams, and strengthen our capacity to facilitate and welcome the growth of our greater village. Stay tuned for more! 

Meet Our New AAIMM Doulas

AAIMM recently celebrated World Doula Week (March 22-28) and took the opportunity to introduce our new AAIMM doulas to the public with social media highlights and profiles on the blackinfantsandfamilies.org website. 

Click the images below to learn more about these outstanding doulas who are on the frontlines of our efforts to create healthy and joyous birthing outcomes for Black women/birthing persons and their babies in LA County:

Are you or someone you know pregnant and in need of a doula? You may be able to receive free support! Text DOULA to 323-745-2771 to learn more about our Doula program.

NEW Expectant Fathers Group for Black Dads Begins April 18

Our next AAIMM Expecting Fathers Group cohort begins next Tuesday, April 18 and runs for five weeks until Tuesday, May 16 via Zoom. Please share with any expectant fathers you may know, the families you serve, and your networks. 

Thank You for helping our Fatherhood Program grow!

Want to help us Grow the Village of support for Black women/birthing persons and their families? Text PLEDGE to 323-745-2771 to take the pledge to end Black maternal & infant births and to sign up for our newsletter.