I’ve been sitting on this story for months, trying to make sense of what happened to my family. In this series, I’m sharing my experience as a mother navigating concerns about my children’s safety, race, accountability, advocacy, and trust in an institution we once trusted deeply. I’ll share what happened, what I learned, where I got things wrong, and the questions I’m still carrying with me.

Black maternal health is not an awareness issue. It is a systems issue.

Black women in the United States are still dying at disproportionate rates during pregnancy and childbirth, and Black babies are still more than twice as likely to die before their first birthday. These outcomes are preventable, yet they persist.

What we are seeing is not a series of isolated tragedies. It is a pattern of delayed response, missed escalation, and Black women not being believed in clinical moments where time matters.

Reflecting on International Women’s Day, healing, and the quiet strength of women. A personal journey of resilience, restoration, and growth.

Some truths cost everything the moment they are spoken. Ten years ago, Colin Kaepernick took a knee to call out state violence, and the country punished him for being right. That sacrifice is still Black history unfolding.

As a Black woman in America, this is terrifying. But it is also familiar. This is not new fear. It is heightened fear. The difference now is that white Americans are activated because the threat has reached them, because safety no longer feels guaranteed.