Home | Black Maternal Health Week 2026 BMHW26 celebrates the leadership and expertise of Black community-based organizations as the foundation for advancing equity and ensuring transformative, sustainable improvements in Black Maternal Hea...

We at NCHE are joining @blackmamasmatter to celebrate #BMHW26.

This week centers justice and joy, and honors Black-led leadership shaping the future of maternal health.

Join us: blkmaternalhealthweek.com

#BMHW26 #BlackMamasMatter #ReproductiveJustice

CPS students can now access books, tutoring, other library services with just a student ID The move expands an initiative between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Public Library that aims to make it easier for students to get resources at all of the city’s public libraries.

Chicago students can now use their student IDs to access library books, tutoring & more—expanding learning beyond the classroom. ow.ly/xpOl50YIgzn

Explore more stories like this in the NCHE Bulletin: www.nationalcollaborative.org/weekly-bulletin/

#EducationEquity #AccessToOpportunity

Meeting the Moment: Building a Bigger We and Communicating Across Difference Webinar YouTube video by National Collaborative for Health Equity

NCHE’s Community of Practice recently hosted a powerful webinar featuring Rachel Godsil (law professor at Rutgers) & Dushaw Hockett (founder of SPACEs), exploring how perceptions of race shape political attitudes—& how we can communicate more effectively across differences. youtu.be/JXqhsxIKdCk?...

5 Black Women Share What It Was Like to Face Record Unemployment in 2025 One year on from a sharp rise in layoffs for their demographic, Black women are building and sustaining communities in the face of a radically different employment landscape

By late 2025, 600,000 Black women exited the workforce—one of the hardest-hit groups after mass layoffs.

But behind the stats are leaders rebuilding and redefining their careers in real time.

🔗 Read More: ow.ly/j73F50YFHP6

#EconomicEquity #WorkforceEquity #RacialEquity

Georgia bans many midwives from practicing. Now, several are suing the state. The lawsuit, filed Thursday, is part of a growing trend of similar cases across the South. The plaintiffs argue that midwives are crucial to address maternity care deserts.

🩺 Midwives in Georgia are suing to challenge restrictive laws that limit care—amid a growing maternal health crisis.

Access to midwives could expand care options and improve outcomes, especially in underserved communities.

🔗 www.nbcnews.com/health/women...

#MaternalHealth #ReproductiveJustice

Former inmate buys Wayne County Correctional Center, plans reentry and workforce campus Kerwin Pittman, a social justice activist and former inmate, has made history by purchasing the former Wayne County Correctional Center in Goldsboro.

From incarceration to transformation. Activist Kerwin Pittman has purchased a former NC prison and is turning it into a reentry campus with housing, job training, and support services for returning citizens.

🔗Read More: ow.ly/tR7Q50YCpAq

#JusticeReform #HealthEquity

We’re Exhibiting! We’re proud to be part of the 9th Annual Black Maternal Health Conference on April 10-11, 2026

✨ Powerful keynotes, visionary panelists, and impact-driven vendors—this is a conference you don’t want to miss. bmhc.vfairs.com

#BMHC2026 #CBMHRJTufts #Blackmaternalhealth #Motherhood

Seminole Nation of Oklahoma Passes Moratorium on Data Centers First Tribal Council to Block Data Center Development on Tribal Lands In a landmark unanimous vote, the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma has become one of the first Native American Tribes to enact a comple...

The Seminole Nation of Oklahoma has passed a moratorium on data centers, taking a stand to protect land, water, & community health.

This is indigenous leadership in action: ow.ly/op4850YAKI2

Check out the NCHE Weekly Bulletin for similar stories.
www.nationalcollaborative.org/weekly-bulletin/

UN calls for reparations to remedy the 'historical wrongs' of trafficking enslaved Africans The U.N. General Assembly has adopted a resolution declaring the trafficking of enslaved Africans “the gravest crime against humanity” and calling for reparations as “a concrete step towards remedying...

The United Nations General Assembly has officially declared the transatlantic slave trade the “gravest crime against humanity,” & is calling for reparations.

This moment reflects growing global recognition that justice requires more than remembrance—it requires action.
ow.ly/b0Ls50YzLLl

Food Justice & Sovereignty (Part 2) | Hope in Action Podcast Ep. 2 YouTube video by National Collaborative

Have you checked out Part 2 of Episode 2 of the HOPE in Action Podcast?

This episode dives into food justice and food sovereignty—exploring how communities & reclaiming power over their food systems and building healthier, more equitable futures.

Watch now: youtu.be/dPo586l2o5c?...

#FoodJustice

Voters across Virginia are casting ballots on a redistricting referendum. This measure could temporarily allow lawmakers to redraw congressional districts, shaping representation & elections for years to come.

Early voting runs through April 18! Learn more: ow.ly/LbA950YyNZT

#VoteEarly

Ending Race-based Test Helps Black Kidney Patients A policy change that ends use of a race-based test has been linked to shorter waiting times for Black patients who need a kidney transplant.

Ending the use of a race-based kidney test is helping Black patients access transplants sooner, correcting a harmful bias that delayed life-saving care.

🔗 wordinblack.com/2026/03/endi...

#HealthEquity #RacialJustice #KidneyHealth #EquityInCare

Join Dr. Gail Christopher as opening keynote at Tufts’ 9th Annual Black Maternal Health Conference on April 11th & 12th. She’ll explore how systemic inequities & clinical disparities impact women’s health—& what’s missing in care systems.

🔗 bmhc.vfairs.com

#BlackMaternalHealth #ReproductiveJustice

#HOPEinAction Podcast | Episode 2: #FoodJustice & Sovereignty (Part 2)

In the second half of this powerful conversation,Treasure Sheppard and MB Mitcham dive deeper into community-led solutions and the power of participatory research in advancing food justice.

Learn more: ow.ly/4ZZE50Ywl94

Virginia Becomes First Southern State to Pass Paid Leave, Setting Example for a National Affordability Agenda - A Better Balance Tonight, the Virginia state legislature passed legislation to create a statewide paid family and medical leave program as well as legislation to create a

Policy Win in Virginia: The state has become the first in the South to pass a statewide paid family & medical leave program, supporting workers & families when they need it most: ow.ly/QuMO50YuLKQ

Check out the NCHE Bulletin for more stories like this: www.nationalcollaborative.org/weekly-bulletin/

Anna Julia Cooper became one of the first Black women in the U.S. to earn a PhD and a powerful voice for education, civil rights, and the advancement of Black women. Her work laid important foundations for later movements for civil rights and voting rights.

#WomensHistoryMonth #AnnaJuliaCooper

There are 306 Black-owned bookstores in the US, and now you can easily track all of them This week, the National Association of Black Bookstores launched its National Black-Owned Bookstore Directory.

There are 306 Black-owned bookstores across the U.S., & a new national directory is helping readers find & support them. www.nab2.org/directory

This comes at a crucial time as book bans & new legislation restricting certain titles continue to spread across the country.
Read More ow.ly/RGaS50YrUjM

Over a year later, Black families in Altadena are still displaced. What gives? Many Black families are still waiting to return home after the Eaton Fire ignited and ravaged Altadena for weeks in January 2025.

More than a year after the Eaton Fire, many Black families from #Altadena, California are still displaced.

Insurance delays, rebuilding hurdles, & rising costs are keeping families from returning home.

Read more about what’s at stake for this historic community.
ow.ly/fX4R50YqmIE

#housingjustice

On Episode 2 of the #HOPEinAction podcast, Treasure Sheppard shares strategies for pushing solutions back to the community when building collaborative initiatives. Watch part 1 of the Food Justice & Food Sovereignty episode to learn more ow.ly/onGX50YpKgM

#FoodJustice #FoodSovereignty#HealthEquity

We asked Americans how they felt about their interracial interactions. The answers may surprise you. | Brookings

Are Americans as divided on race as headlines suggest?

New research from The Brookings Institution and Gallup finds most Americans regularly engage in interracial friendships, workplaces, and even families — and report largely positive experiences.

The data may surprise you: ow.ly/JIfU50YoEig

Indigenous Peoples Push Back as Data Centers Expand Across North America – Intercontinental Cry From the boreal forests of northern Alberta to the deserts of West Texas, Indigenous peoples are pushing back against a wave of data center proposals across Tur

Indigenous communities across North America are pushing back as massive data centers expand onto their lands—raising concerns about water use, environmental harm, & sovereignty.

Resistance is growing as communities demand consent & justice. ow.ly/gaM650Yo9HO

IndigenousRights #EnvironmentalJustice

We’re excited to announce the release of part one of episode two of the HOPE in Action podcast: #FoodJustice & Sovereignty!

This episode dives into the power of community leadership, food justice, & the movement toward sovereignty in our food systems. www.nationalcollaborative.org/HopeInAction/

This #BlackHistoryMonth, we honor Septima Poinsette Clark — the educator who turned classrooms into catalysts for change. She empowered Black communities with literacy, voting rights & civic knowledge.

Her legacy reminds us that "literacy is liberation". May we always be encouraged by her work.

Dr. Gail Christopher will be the opening keynote speaker for this year’s Black Maternal Health Conference, “Women‘s Health Now: Innovations, Equity, and Whole-person care.”

Join the virtual event April 10-11. Register today: bmhc.vfairs.com/en/  
 
#BMHC2026 #BlackMaternalHealth #HealthEquity

Black Residents Win Key Ruling in ‘Cancer Alley’ Environmental Racism Case The lawsuit could force a jury to decide if turning Black communities into sacrifice zones is a legacy of slavery.

A fed. judge just allowed residents of Cancer Alley to move forward with a pollution lawsuit against officials in St. James Parish. The suit argues decades of land-use decisions in Louisiana concentrated toxic industry in majority-Black areas — violating their constitutional rights ow.ly/KoR550YiStR

We honor the life & legacy of Jesse Jackson—a towering figure in the Civil Rights Movement & a lifelong champion for justice, equity, & economic empowerment. His voice challenged the nation to live up to its highest ideals—& his work helped move it closer to that promise.

May we continue the work.

Black History at the Heart of America’s Story On the 100th anniversary of Black History Month, when some manipulate memory, a scholar calls for a new look at the past.

As we celebrate Black History Month, Dr. Gail Christopher reminds us that Black history isn’t a sidebar—it’s central to the American story.

In her latest piece, she calls us to honor the full truth of our shared history— and the contributions that shaped our democracy.

Read more: ow.ly/rlFk50Yh7y6

This Black History Month, we honor C.L.R. James (1901–1989) — historian, Pan-Africanist, and author of The Black Jacobins. He reshaped how we understand the Haitian Revolution and centered Black resistance in global history. His work still inspires movements for justice worldwide. #BlackHistoryMonth

New SAVE Act Bills Would Still Block Millions of Americans From Voting The “show your papers” requirement is an attack on the freedom to vote.

New versions of the #SAVEAct would require proof of citizenship (like a passport or birth certificate) to register to vote. Over 21M Americans don’t have these documents readily available—potentially blocking millions from voting.

Read more from the Brennan Center ow.ly/Lss950Ye2jS

#VotingRights

Virtual Town Hall 2025: Ensuring Safety and Security in Communities Today (Panel 3) YouTube video by National Collaborative for Health Equity

During the NCHE Town Hall: Ensuring Safety and Security in Communities Today, Dirk Butler, Chief Program Officer at NAF, shared how today’s youth give him hope for the future through their leadership and commitment to safer communities.

Watch More: youtu.be/XZaCUe_I2c8?...

#YouthLeadership #Safety