Dana Sherrod has emerged as a powerful force in challenging California’s maternal health crisis by co-founding the California Coalition for Black Birth Justice, the state’s first entity dedicated to unifying Black birth equity efforts statewide. Through strategic advocacy, policy reform, and systems transformation, Sherrod confronts the harsh reality that Black women in California are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women.
Sherrod’s approach addresses systemic racism head-on, recently challenging California’s Surgeon General to revise the state’s Maternal Health Blueprint for failing to explicitly name systemic racism as a driver of disparities. She emphasizes that data definitively shows Black women with the highest incomes have worse pregnancy-related mortality rates than white women with the lowest incomes, proving that education, marriage, and economic status—factors typically considered protective—cannot shield Black mothers from structural inequities.
As Executive Director of the Coalition, Sherrod led development of the California Black Birth Justice Agenda, a comprehensive roadmap addressing data transparency, healthcare quality improvement, and workforce development. The Coalition connects Black birth workers including doulas, midwives, and lactation professionals across California, creating coordinated action where efforts were previously siloed. Under Sherrod’s leadership, the organization hosts the California Black Birth Equity Summit and “Birth Justice & Joy” gatherings, creating spaces for stakeholders to strategize meaningful change.
Prior to founding the Coalition, Sherrod spearheaded Cherished Futures for Black Moms & Babies, a multi-sector hospital quality improvement initiative in Los Angeles County, and launched a statewide mental health advocacy program for Black women. She holds a Master of Public Health from San Jose State University, where she also serves as adjunct faculty. Sherrod emphasizes that achieving birth equity requires long-term investments in Black-led organizations, accountability mechanisms in healthcare systems, and recognition that maternal health disparities stem from chronic stress of racism and systemic underinvestment in Black communities.
Learn more:
– California Coalition for Black Birth Justice: https://www.cablackbirthjustice.com/
– Public Health Institute profile: https://www.phi.org/experts/dana-sherrod/
– ENSPIRE Magazine interview: https://enspiremag.com/2025/01/california-coalition-for-black-birth-justice-advocates-for-maternal-health/
