Every donation to The Claudia Booker Black Student Midwife Scholarship Fund is an investment in a brighter future for maternal health care. By supporting the education and training of aspiring Black midwives, you are directly contributing to a more diverse and equitable healthcare system. Help us empower the next generation of healthcare leaders in our community.
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Monthly giving is the backbone of proactive support. It allows us to:
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Provide Black students with the resources they need to succeed in the field of midwifery.
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Make midwifery education more accessible and affordable.
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Increase the presence of Black professionals in maternity healthcare settings, improving outcomes for all families.
One of the main goals at Abide Women’s Health Services is to increase the number of Black midwives and birthworkers of color. This objective has been marked as a priority by Abide’s leadership, driven by the understanding that realizing this goal requires focused and deliberate support mechanisms. The necessity for such targeted support stems from the multifaceted and historical challenges Black women face on their path to entering the midwifery profession.
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Robert Galbraith © 1987 Robert Galbraith
Historically, the profession of midwifery in the United States, deeply rooted in Black, Indigenous, and immigrant communities, faced deliberate marginalization and criminalization as the medical establishment sought to professionalize prenatal care, sidelining traditional midwives and leading to a stark decline in their numbers by the early 20th century. This historical backdrop, combined with systemic racism within the healthcare system, has perpetuated a legacy of birth injustices and created significant barriers for Black women seeking to enter the profession.
Today, Black midwives face challenges including economic disparities, underrepresentation in the profession, and a lack of support and mentorship, particularly in midwifery education and professional development. The socio-economic landscape further exacerbates these challenges, as Black women, who are paid the least out of any demographic, confront financial barriers to education and professional development in midwifery. This situation is aggravated by the lack of midwifery programs at historically Black colleges and universities and the financial hurdles to providing out-of-hospital care, such as inadequate Medicaid reimbursement rates.
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Image by Elaine Baca Photography
These systemic obstacles highlight the critical need for scholarships and financial assistance programs specifically designed to support Black women in overcoming these barriers, ensuring they can pursue midwifery education and contribute to improving maternal and infant health outcomes in their communities.
By addressing the underrepresentation of Black midwives and facilitating their access to education and professional opportunities, we can work towards a healthcare system that is more equitable, culturally competent, and capable of addressing the specific needs of Black families.
