Where maternal justice meets unstoppable love
Dr. Shalon’s Maternal Action Project (DSMap) is at the heart of a national reckoning of maternal health, race, and justice.
In the United States, Black women are more than three times as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes as white women ~ regardless of income, education, or access to insurance.
These deaths are not due to biology or behavior. They are rooted in a healthcare system that too often fails to listen to, honor, and protect Black lives.
Behind every statistic is a daughter, sister, partner, friend, and mother.
And behind each of them is a family left forever changed.
How the Health System Often Fails Black Mothers
Black mothers in the U.S. are often dismissed, unheard, or misdiagnosed in healthcare settings—even when they speak up. Studies show that Black women are more likely to report feeling ignored by providers, have their pain underestimated, and experience delays in diagnosis or treatment. These failures are not about individual mistakes—they are the result of systemic bias, structural racism, and a lack of culturally responsive care.
This contributes directly to higher rates of preventable complications and deaths. The system isn't broken for Black mothers—it was never built with them in mind.
We are not here only to grieve.
We are here to act.
Named for Dr. Shalon Irving, a CDC epidemiologist and new mother who died just weeks after giving birth, DSMap is where data meets dignity, where policy meets power, and where personal loss fuels collective action.
We are a national nonprofit that offers culturally grounded provider training, builds healing communities for families, and advocates for policies that save lives.
Whether you’ve lost someone, work in healthcare, or want to learn how to help, you belong in this movement.
Together, we will rewrite the story of Black motherhood.
🧭 What We’re Fighting For
✅ Full passage of the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act
✅ Expansion of Medicaid postpartum coverage to 12 months nationwide
✅ Investment in Black-led community birth centers and perinatal workforce
Accountability for maternal deaths through improved surveillance and transparency
✅ Cultural congruency training requirements for healthcare providers