The Mama We See: Listening to Black Mothers, Transforming Maternal Healthcare

At Edith Institute, we believe that every mother deserves to be seen, heard, and cared for with dignity. That belief is at the heart of our newest project, The Mama We See is a powerful initiative to honor the experiences of Black mothers who have faced serious pregnancy-related complications such as gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, eclampsia, and obstetric hemorrhage.

Why These Stories Matter

For far too long, Black mothers have been overlooked in the healthcare system, their pain dismissed, their warnings ignored, their lives put at unnecessary risk. The numbers are devastating: Black mothers in the United States are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white mothers. But behind every statistic is a name, a face, a family, and a future.

The Mama We See is our commitment to shining a light on those stories not as data points, but as lived realities that demand change.

What We’re Doing

Through intimate, two-hour interviews, we are:

• Documenting Barriers to Care : From delayed diagnoses to rushed discharges, we are recording the real-world challenges mothers face.

• Revealing Bias in Healthcare: Capturing how harmful assumptions and a lack of cultural understanding shape medical decisions.

• Creating Solutions for Change: Transforming these lived experiences into continuing medical education for providers, so no mother’s voice is ever overlooked again.

Our Goal

By winter, we will have interviewed 30 Black mothers in our community. Their voices will become the foundation for better training, more compassionate care, and a healthcare system where Black mothers are valued, respected, and protected.

How You Can Help

Every conversation we hold is a step toward justice but we can’t do it alone. Your support helps us connect with more mothers, amplify more voices, and push for systemic change.

Because every mother we see, we honor. And every story we hear moves us closer to a world where justice begins before a baby is even born.

Learn more about The Mama We See and how you can support this work here.