JOHN,

To address our country’s maternal mortality crisis, this Black Maternal Health Week is focused on “Strengthening Black Maternal Health Through Collective Action and Advocacy,” emphasizing the power of Black-led reproductive health organizations to “drive systemic change,” “shape policies,” and “amplify solutions.”

The Michigan Chamber for Reproductive Justice (MCRJ) exemplifies this, leading the push for transformative legislation that addresses the root causes of maternal health disparities in our state.

MCRJ’s work is urgently needed in Michigan, which has one of the nation’s highest Black maternal mortality rates. Here, Black women are more than 4.5 times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes than white women. These deaths are heartbreaking and preventable.

As the policy lead in a statewide coalition for birth justice, the Michigan Chamber for Reproductive Justice is advancing much-needed solutions to save lives.

The group’s relentless advocacy led to:

• A new bill that just got signed into law to expand access to birth centers, which are proven to improve Black maternal health outcomes

• The introduction and advancement of the “Michigan Momnibus” policy package, including bills to protect patients and reimburse doulas and midwives, which will be voted on this week in the Michigan Senate

• Direct support and critical resources for Black birthing people, their families, and healthcare providers

Can you chip in today to help the Michigan Chamber for Reproductive Justice continue to save Black lives, lead transformative policy efforts, educate communities, and support those most impacted by inequity?

In addition to policy progress for birth justice, the Michigan Chamber for Reproductive Justice (MCRJ) is fighting for water affordability, housing justice, environmental protections, person-centered affirming care, and more. MCRJ recognizes that these intersecting issues are essential to achieving true reproductive justice and freedom.

Right now, the attacks on Medicaid and the federal freeze on funding for reproductive health and maternal health are threatening MCRJ’s progress.

These right-wing threats are also jeopardizing the safety net for marginalized communities, who already face significant barriers to quality healthcare. The Michigan Chamber for Reproductive Justice’s work depends on federal resources to expand access to doulas, midwives, and culturally competent care. Without sustained funding, they’re forced to fight harder for every dollar to ensure communities don’t lose access to life-saving support.

Please chip in today to support the Michigan Chamber for Reproductive Justice’s urgent and transformative work. Your tax-deductible donation helps save lives.

If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your secure donation will go through immediately:

Thank you for taking action to build more safety and equity for Black women and all people.

Together, we will fight back against racism, fascism, and dehumanizing hate. We will also keep pushing toward positive visions of the world we all deserve, including this from a 2023 convening of reproductive justice leaders: “Our vision is a future rooted in human dignity and worth, bodily autonomy, joy, love, and rest.”¹

In solidarity,

Rashida

1. Visioning New Futures for Reproductive Justice Declaration 2023

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Rashida Tlaib
Date: Tues, Apr 15, 2025
Subject: Saving Our Mothers:
To: [email protected]

JOHN,

This Black Maternal Health Week, I want to lift up incredible leaders in the movement to improve healthcare for Black moms and their babies.

The Michigan Chamber for Reproductive Justice (MCRJ) is advancing Black maternal health through grassroots leadership, policy advocacy, and coalition building. MCRJ is committed to ensuring that all people receive the dignified, equitable care they deserve before, during, and after birth.

In my state of Michigan, this is especially needed because Black maternal mortality rates are among the highest in the nation—with Black women more than 4.5 times likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women, and Black infants 3 times more likely to die than white infants.

Solutions to this urgent crisis include investing in more Black healthcare providers and more birth centers, which are midwife-led, home-like places that have been proven to improve maternal and infant health outcomes.

As the policy lead for the Michigan State of Birth Justice Coalition, MCRJ grounds its work in the foundational leadership of Birth Detroit—home to the only Black-led birth center in the state. The coalition’s community-rooted vision has helped shape critical policy wins, including a newly signed law to license and expand access to birth centers, and the “Michigan Momnibus” policy package—featuring vital bills to support doulas and midwives and protect patients from discrimination.

Can you chip in today to support the Michigan Chamber for Reproductive Justice’s life-saving advocacy to eradicate racial disparities in maternal and infant health? Stand up for Black moms now.

Thanks in part to the relentless advocacy from the Michigan Chamber for Reproductive Justice, lawmakers introduced the “Michigan Momnibus” package during last year’s Black Maternal Health Week. This week, this set of important solutions will be voted on in the Michigan Senate. Then it’s on to the State House!

While pushing for life-saving policies, the Michigan Chamber for Reproductive Justice (MCRJ) is also providing education and resources to communities, their families, healthcare providers, and the institutions that shape their care experiences.

This community group’s work is rooted in reproductive justice, which is the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, to have children or not have children, and to parent in safe, sustainable communities.

In addition to birth justice, MCRJ advocates for intersecting issues such as environmental justice and housing justice—recognizing that access to clean water, safe housing, and economic stability are essential to achieving true reproductive freedom.

The Michigan Chamber for Reproductive Justice’s critical work depends on federal resources to expand access to doulas, midwives, and culturally competent care. The federal funding freeze is forcing them to fight harder for every dollar to ensure that communities don’t lose access to life-saving support.

Will you chip in today to help the Michigan Chamber for Reproductive Justice eradicate racial health disparities and build a more equitable future where Black reproductive justice thrives?

If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your secure donation will go through immediately:

Thank you. Our systems and institutions have failed to provide Black people with the high-quality healthcare that everyone deserves. But I refuse to accept this status quo, and I thank you for standing with me and the movement for health equity.

In Congress, I’m supporting policies for Black maternal and infant health like the federal Momnibus Act, and I’m working with the Congressional Mamas’ Caucus to center Black mothers and other mothers of color in policymaking.

Together, we will continue demanding and building a society that honors everyone’s safety, dignity, and bodily autonomy.

In love and solidarity,

Rashida