In Our Own Voice Statement on the Death of Dr. Janell Green Smith, Certified Nurse-Midwife

NATIONWIDE — Following the devastating death of Dr. Janell Green Smith, a Certified Nurse-Midwife, In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda President and CEO Regina Davis Moss released the below statement:

“The death of Dr. Janell Green Smith is more than a tragedy — it is reflective of a deeply broken and racist healthcare system that continues to fail Black women, girls and gender-expansive people. As a respected midwife and scholar, Dr. Smith dedicated her life to advocating for equitable care for our communities, and it is beyond heartbreaking that she died from complications of childbirth. Although maternal mortality rates overall are declining, disparities are widening: Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than White women.

Dr. Smith should be spending time with her newborn, but instead her family and friends are navigating profound grief. With continued attacks on reproductive care both at the federal and state levels, the Black maternal health crisis that took Dr. Smith from her community will only worsen. This is why we must advocate for Reproductive Justice — it is the only solution to advancing reproductive care, protecting our bodily autonomy and ensuring that Black women, girls and gender-expansive people can make decisions about expanding our families without risking our lives.”