The Center for Birth Justice (CBJ) partnered with the MENDS study (Maternal Health Interventions in California Hospitals: Understanding Approaches & Implementation to Advance Health) to help turn a study of community-generated insights into accessible, actionable resource sheets and a report…
To support aspiring individual advocates and organizations engage in advocacy, the California Black Birth Equity Summit (CBBES) and the Center for Birth Justice (CBJ) presented a Birth Equity Advocacy 101 webinar on March 12, 2026.
Growing evidence suggests that periodontal disease during pregnancy may be associated with serious complications, including preterm birth, low birth weight, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes. Yet oral health remains one of the most overlooked components of prenatal care.
Granny midwives, the Black women in the rural South who ensured safe and healthy deliveries, were more than traditional birth attendants. They were community-based caregivers whose work laid the groundwork for birth justice, protecting Black women’s ability to give birth safely in a society that…
Placental Research Symposium Unites Science and Community to Advance Maternal HealthNot even rain could dampen the enthusiasm of the scientists, clinicians, doulas, and community members who gathered for the “Connecting Cells to Community” research symposium at the University of California, San…
A new study reveals gaps in post-NICU support for Black families with premature infants, highlighting urgent needs to better serve a vulnerable population.
Scott Oltman, an epidemiologist with UCSF and PTBi, attended the 2025 Pediatric Academic Societies to present his study, plus several more from academic colleagues who couldn’t attend.
This post contains mentions of violence, abuse, and enslavement
One of the most important books in U.S. history, “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl,” an autobiography by Harriet Jacobs, was almost lost to history.
Shanell Williams, Director of Community Engagement and Partnerships at the UCSF California Preterm Birth Initiative (PTBi), is departing after 10 years to serve as Executive Director of the Rafiki Coalition for Health and Wellness.
