Our Mission
The Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA) is a Black women-led cross-sectoral alliance that centers Black mamas and birthing people to advocate, drive research, build power, and shift culture for Black maternal health, rights, and justice.
Our Vision
We envision a world where Black mamas have the rights, respect, and resources to thrive before, during, and after pregnancy.
Our Goals
- Change Policy: Introduce and advance policy grounded in the human rights framework that addresses Black maternal health inequity and improves Black maternal health outcomes
- Cultivate Research: Leverage the talent and knowledge that exists in Black communities and cultivate innovative research methods to inform the policy agenda to improve Black maternal health
- Advance Care for Black Mamas: Explore, introduce, and enhance holistic and comprehensive approaches to Black mamas’ care
- Shift Culture: Redirect and reframe the conversation on Black maternal health and amplify the voices of Black mamas
BMMA Staff
Angela Doyinsola Aina, MPH
Angela Doyinsola Aina, MPH is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, where she works to convene Black Maternal Health professionals and community-based organizations to develop trainings, programs, quality improvement initiatives, research projects, and black feminist advocacy strategies to advance holistic maternity service provision, policy, and systems change in global public health. She has over 14 years of public health experience, working in different capacities on projects focused on: incorporating health equity strategies into reproductive and maternal health initiatives; strengthening strategic planning and community-based workforce development; and data collection. Ms. Aina has served as a Public Health Analyst, Health Communications Specialist, and a Public Health Prevention Service Fellow at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for over 5 years, working on Zika and Pregnancy, scientific program management, and 2014 Ebola response staffing. She holds a Master of Public Health degree in International and Women’s Health from Morehouse School of Medicine where she conducted a sequential mixed-method analysis of the reproductive health attitudes and behaviors of Nigerian-born immigrant women in the U.S., and a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgia State University in Psychology and African-American Studies. Angela’s expertise and perspectives on Black Maternal Health has been featured in media outlets, such as the Huffington Post, The Atlantic, the Root, and HLN/CNN. In March of 2020, she was recognized as a 2020 WebMD Health Hero and highlighted as an advocate for Black Maternal Health in Time Magazine. She is passionate about and committed to work that seek to achieve: the self-determination of women of African descent; the elimination of violence against women; the promotion of Black and African women’s rights and leadership; and womanist solutions to social and economic injustices. Angela enjoys all things diasporic Black cultural expressions in dance, music, art, fashion, theatre and film.
Ayanna Robinson, PhD, MPH
Dr. Ayanna Robinson is the Research and Evaluation Director for Black Mamas Matter Alliance. She has over a decade of research and evaluation experience, primarily supporting initiatives at the federal level. She received her Ph.D. in Health Promotion and Behavior from the University of Georgia and a Certificate in Interdisciplinary Qualitative Research Studies. As a public health researcher and evaluator experienced in qualitative and quantitative methods, she is committed to conducting research and translating that research into initiatives and products that dismantle systems of oppression, amplifies the voices of Black women and birthing individuals, and creates spaces for healing. Ayanna is also the founder of Black Girls’ Breastfeeding Club and the bEarth Work App.
Philicia Castillo-Sanders, MPH
Philicia Castillo-Sanders is the Associate Director of Data Management and Analysis at the Black Mamas Matter Alliance. In this role, she spearheads the collection, management and analysis of data, and uses quantitative and qualitative methods to build, support, and implement Black maternal health and sexual and reproductive health research ventures. Prior to joining BMMA, she worked as Research Associate at the Guttmacher Institute where she collaborated on quantitative and qualitative projects related to global maternal health outcomes and family planning and abortion provision, access and measurement. Previously, she also coordinated Gynuity Health Projects’ research on expanding access to medication abortion and worked at the Population Council, the International Consortium for Emergency Contraception and Family Care International. Her research portfolio includes work done in the United States and in Latin America, West and East Africa, and Southeast Asia. Ms. Castillo-Sanders earned her MPH in epidemiology, with a secondary concentration in maternal, child, reproductive and sexual health, from the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy; she earned a BS in health promotion and disease prevention studies from the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Epidemiology at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy.
Milan A. Spencer, MPH, MCHES, CLEC
Milan Spencer is the Associate Director of Workforce Development and Partnerships. In her role she aides staff across departments in providing the Alliance with technical assistance across BMMA’s bucket areas, she helps map out resources and helps inform BMMA’s overarching strategic goals. She also manages relationships with BMMA partners. Milan has a BA in History with a concentration in African-American Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Masters in Public Health with a concentration in Community Health Education from California State University, Long Beach. Milan’s passion work is in Maternal Child & Adolescent health, specifically addressing disparities in perinatal care and birth outcomes among Black birthing persons, Black children and Black families. She is a certified childbirth doula and a certified lactation education counselor. She is a mom of three beautiful children and in her free time enjoys reading, jigsaw puzzles and watching true crime tv.
Janet A. Dickerson
Janet A. Dickerson is a seasoned Communications expert and Cultural Strategist with more than 15 years of experience delivering high-impact public relations and integrated marketing services for social impact campaigns and causes. Dickerson’s career began in government as Press Officer for now-U.S. Senator Cory Booker while he was Mayor of Newark, New Jersey. She then served as Deputy Press Secretary for New York City Mayoral Candidate William Thompson, after which she transitioned into the role of Press Secretary for PolicyLink Founder & CEO Angela Glover Blackwell.
Since 2010, Dickerson’s firm Human Impact Solutions has advised numerous non-profits, philanthropic organizations, political campaigns, activists/organizers, authors, artists, entertainers, and more. Past and current clients include Ava DuVernay/ARRAY, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Movement for Black Lives (M4BL), Black Philanthropy Month, Kaiser Family Foundation, New Venture Fund, The Decolonizing Wealth Project, Campaign for Black Male Achievement, Blackout for Human Rights, Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Advocates for Youth, and activist/humanitarian Harry Belafonte’s organization, Sankofa.org.
In 2019, Dickerson was appointed to the board of the Black Public Relations Society – New York Chapter, and in 2021 was named an American Express Social Justice Leadership Academy Fellow. She earned a Bachelor’s in journalism from Temple University and currently resides in New Jersey with her husband and daughter. Learn more about her at janetdickerson.com.
Sang Hee Won, MPH
Sang Hee Won is a Research Project Manager with Black Mamas Matter Alliance where she oversees efforts to strengthen the capacity of maternal mortality review committees to better integrate strategies toward equitable practices. As a maternal health consultant, she also works on projects that focus on ensuring respectful maternity care for birthing people of color, examining the impact of religious restrictions on reproductive and maternal health services, and evaluating the training and deployment of community health care workers to combat COVID-19. In the past, Sang Hee has conducted research on disrespect and abuse during pregnancy and childbirth with the Averting Maternal Death and Disability Program; overseen New York City’s first severe maternal morbidity surveillance; and worked to strengthen health systems to provide emergency obstetric care services in low-income countries. Sang Hee has an MPH from Columbia University and a BA from Grinnell College.
Danielle Swanson Rivers, MPH
Danielle Rivers is a Senior Research Fellow with Black Mamas Matter Alliance. In her role, she works to support the research and evaluation department primarily through project coordination and data analysis. She has four years of experience working in public health research with a history of working with federal projects as well as state government. Danielle is an alumna of Purdue University where she received her Bachelor of Science in Genetics and Biology and has her MPH from Georgia State University’s School of Public Health. Her professional interests include maternal and child health, child maltreatment, implementation research and social determinants of health.
Deidre McDaniel, PhD(c), MSW, LCSW
Deidre McDaniel is a Workforce Development Consultant and Collaborator with the Black Mamas Matter Alliance. With over 20 years of experience in maternal & child health, Deidre provides guidance to healthcare systems and public/private organizations on how to successfully implement and sustain equitable programs to address disparities, as the president and founder of Health Equity Resources & Strategies (H.E.R.S.). Deidre is also a PhD Candidate at Morgan State University, with research interests in anti-racist healthcare practices and eliminating disparities in birth outcomes for Black women. Deidre employs a critical equity framework through which to understand all healthcare systems, policies, and practices. As a licensed certified social worker, she has dedicated her career to improving health outcomes for women and children; and as a leader in the field, she demonstrates cultural humility, effective communication, and sound content expertise which she uses to assist organizations with operationalizing their visions for creating innovative cultures of equity.
Makina Table, MPH
Makina Table is a Workforce Development consultant with the Black Mamas Matter Alliance. Makina is a childbirth doula, public health practitioner, and educator with more than 7 years of experience in sexual and reproductive health, learning design and evaluation, and strategic programming, both nationally and globally. Most recently, she spent 2 years in rural southeastern Africa working and serving in adolescent sexual health, malaria and HIV/AIDS prevention. Makina earned a bachelor’s degree in African-American Studies and Chemistry from Howard University and a master’s degree in public health from George Washington University. In her spare time, Makina enjoys watching documentaries and home renovation shows, spending time with her family and working as a handmade artist and designer.
Clarke Wheeler, MPA
Clarke Wheeler (she/her) is a Black feminist policy analyst and advocate whose work is rooted in reproductive justice. As the Federal Policy Manager at Black Mamas Matter Alliance, she collaborates with Black-led organizations and multidisciplinary professionals to craft and implement federal policy strategies that advance Black maternal health. Prior to this role, she worked on the government relations team at Planned Parenthood of New York City (now Greater New York) and served as an Urban Fellow in the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection Office of Financial Empowerment.
Clarke received her Master in Public Affairs (MPA) from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs and her Bachelor of Arts in Africana Studies and Political Science from Barnard College. She is an alum of the Fellowship for Emerging Leaders in Public Service at NYU Wagner, the Urban Leaders Fellowship in New Orleans, and several other social justice fellowships and programs. She is currently pursuing her Birth Justice Doula Certification with the Southern Birth Justice Network and volunteers as a case manager for the DC Abortion Fund.
Stephanie Aristide, MPH
Stephanie Aristide is the Policy & Advocacy Associate with Black Mamas Matter Alliance. In her role she supports with the coordination of programmatic activities such as the Black Maternal Health Week Campaign (BMHW), and the Black Maternal Health Conference and Training Institute (BMHC).
Stephanie received her Master of Public Health with a concentration in Maternal and Child Health from Florida International University. She has experience in public health research, and program planning. Stephanie’s professional goals are to implement sustainable changes within health policy, women’s reproductive health education, and quality care improvement. Her hobbies include traveling, visiting museums, photography, and producing podcasts.
Gianna Wilson, MPA
Gianna Wilson is the Senior Coordinator for Black Mamas Matter Alliance within the Programs and Partnerships department. She works collaboratively across the organization to oversee the successful completion of projects and events. Her duties also include establishing and maintaining relationships with vendors. As an undergraduate student, she began working with local Atlanta charitable organizations which led to a years long career in non-profits. After earning a Master’s degree in Public Administration, Gianna shifted sectors to work within Georgia state government. In 2021, she returned to her non-profit roots by joining BMMA. She takes television very seriously and is a lover of art in all mediums. Gianna has a multitude of hobbies including painting, learning to sew, writing, travel, and photography.
Seynabou-Denise Niang, MPH
Seynabou-Denise Niang is the Program Manager under the Programs & Partnerships department. In her role she helps co-lead and implement BMMA’s core programs and initiatives, such as the Black Maternal Health Week campaign (BMHW), the Black Maternal Health Conference and Training Institute (BMHC), and other multi-faceted initiatives for the organization. She is primarily responsible for responsible for coordinating and liaising with external program consultants, working across departmental staff, and connecting with network partners to ensure efficient administration of all programmatic activities.
Seynabou has a BA in Psychology with a minor in Public Health from the illustrious Spelman College, and Master of Public Health in Global Health with a concentration in Community Health and Development from the Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University. Seynabou is a community alchemist who centers her work around community health and empowerment through various frameworks like, reproductive justice, Black feminism, and critical race theory. As a native of Dakar, Senegal by way of Atlanta, GA, Seynabou deeply believes in the impact of community-based research and has almost a decades’ experience with leading community based participatory action research (CBPAR), qualitative research and monitor and evaluation. In her free time, you can find Seynabou reading, writing and binge watching any medical show dramas.
Ayanna Woolfork, MPH
Ayanna Woolfork is the Program Analyst for Workforce Development at Black Mamas Matter Alliance.
Imani West
Imani West is a Baltimore based communications and marketing consultant specializing in copy writing and digital marketing strategies. With almost a decade of communications experience, Imani helps organizations and brands tell their story, expand their reach, and publicize their impact. Imani has a passion for working with organizations focused on social justice initiatives, community engagement, and equity. She holds a BA in Mass Communications and Political Science from Virginia Wesleyan University.
Brooke Baker
Brooke Baker is the Communications Manager with the Black Mamas Matter Alliance. She is an ever changing artist merging communications, art, education, and marketing to foster equity and inclusion. The Howard University graduate has advanced the movement to end gun violence, promote body positivity, birth justice, reproductive justice, racial and social justice through communications management, and through different mediums of artistic expression. She held leadership communications positions with advocacy organizations such as the New York Justice League, the Gathering for Justice, Youth Over Guns, and The Lifestyle Brand. In her spare time, she manages a clothing line.
Shauna H. Frazier
Shauna H. Frazier is the Donor Relations Manager with Black Mamas Matter Alliance. Shauna is an Atlanta native and who’s worked in the Public Health Non-profit sector as a Regional Operations Manager and Development Manager covering five states with the American Diabetes Association for four years.
Shauna’s passion for holistic care begin over 17 years ago which lead her into the health and wellness industry, where she obtained a certification in Natural Medicine, Thai Yoga, Reiki, Neuromuscular Therapy, and is currently studying to become obtain a certification as an Ayurveda Practitioner.
She also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management. Much of her free time is spent managing her Holistic company, traveling, and spending time with her husband and two kids.
Fatuma Dahir
Fatuma Dahir is the Director of Operations for Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Inc. She has over a decade of project/program management and human resource experience, primarily in higher education administration. She received her degree in political science and sociology from Georgia State University. As a project and people manager, she is committed to increasing the productivity, development and success of BMMA.
Natalya Ellis, MA
Natalya Ellis works as an Operations Consultant with the Black Mamas Matter Alliance.
Board of Directors
Breana Lipscomb, MPH
Breana Lipscomb is a native of Chattanooga, Tennessee and currently resides in Georgia. She graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham where she received her Master of Public Health and Bachelor of Science in Biology and Spanish. She has over 15 years of public health research, advocacy, and program implementation & evaluation experience and has worked in Tennessee, Guatemala, and the State Departments of Health in both Iowa and South Carolina. Breana is an alumna of the Maternal and Child Health Public Health Leadership Institute at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. She has a special interest in addressing maternal health disparities and inequities through effective policy advocacy. She now serves as the Senior Manager of the U.S. Maternal Health & Rights Initiative for the Center for Reproductive Rights. In this role, Breana develops advocacy strategies to promote Black maternal health, particularly in the South, mobilizing a broad base of stakeholders—policymakers, reproductive justice community, public health professionals, the medical community, and advocates—to advance state and federal level policies that further reproductive rights as human rights. Breana actively serves on the Board of Directors for Black Mamas Matter Alliance, and she was recognized as the inaugural Kira Johnson Advocate of the Year by March for Moms in 2020.
Jessica Roach, MPH
Jessica M Roach, MPH is the CEO and Partner of Restoring Our Own Through Transformation, a Black Family Led Community Based Organization. Ms. Roach has over 20 years of clinical, research, nursing, home-birth midwife/assistant, full spectrum Doula, and public health experience. Ms. Roach’s focus on inter-generational and historical trauma has forged a uniquely powerful perspective as applied to public health policy and practice. Her advocacy work includes community-based initiatives addressing reproductive justice and infant mortality with a particular focus on African- American and similarly oppressed communities. She is the proud mother of three women, one of whom was a pre-term infant.
Aza Nedhari, LM, CPM, MS
Aza brings more than 18 years of experience in community organizing, reproductive justice, and program development. She is a licensed Certified Professional Midwife, Family Counselor, and the Founding Executive Director of Mamatoto Village. Aza is a fiercely dedicated woman who believes that by promoting a framework of justice, the reduction of barriers in maternal and child health begins to dissipate; giving rise to healthy individuals, healthy families, and healthy communities. Aza is pursuing her Doctorate in Human Services with a concentration in Organizational Leadership and Management with an eye towards the sustainability of people of color led-organizations and cultivating innovative models of perinatal care delivery in high needs communities. Aza is a mother to three spirited and gentle children.
Kwajelyn Jackson, MS
Kwajelyn Jackson currently serves as Executive Director at Feminist Women’s Health Center (FWHC) in Atlanta, GA. She has the optimistic vision and pragmatism needed to lead an independent, non-profit, Feminist, multi-generational, multi-racial reproductive health, rights, and justice organization, providing compassionate abortion care in the South. Since 2013 she has led the expansion of FWHC’s statewide and national impact and deepened its community partnerships, leading the organization’s civic engagement, advocacy, education, and outreach teams, before becoming the organization’s first Black woman Executive Director.
A third generation graduate of Spelman College, Kwajelyn continues a family legacy of racial justice, anti-oppression and reproductive justice activism. She has a BA in economics and a MS in urban policy studies from the Andrew Young School of Public Policy at Georgia State University. Prior to joining FWHC, she spent three years as the Program Manager for WonderRoot Community Arts Center and eight years as a Credit Risk Manager with Wachovia Bank’s Community Development Finance Group. A respected voice on reproductive justice movement building, Kwajelyn is often sought after on the national level. She sits on the board of directors for All-Options, Abortion Care Network, and the Black Mamas Matter Alliance. Kwajelyn is interested in opportunities to use a reproductive justice lens to spark dialogue, transform perspectives, develop leaders, and cultivate change.
Joia A. Crear-Perry, MD, FACOG
Joia A. Crear-Perry, MD, FACOG is a physician, policy expert, thought leader and advocate for transformational justice. As the founder and president of the National Birth Equity Collaborative (NBEC), she identifies and challenges racism as a root cause of health inequities. She is a highly sought-after trainer and speaker who has been featured in national and international publications including Essence and Ms. Magazine. In 2020, Dr. Crear-Perry was honored by USA Today in its “Women of the Century” series and featured on ABC Nightline’s Hear Her Voice. Dr. Crear-Perry has twice addressed the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to elevate the cause of gender diversity and urge a human rights framework toward addressing maternal mortality. Previously, she served as the Executive Director of the Birthing Project, Director of Women’s and Children’s Services at Jefferson Community Healthcare Center and as the Director of Clinical Services for the City of New Orleans Health Department. Dr. Crear-Perry currently serves as a Principal at Health Equity Cypher and on the Board of Trustees for Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Community Catalyst, National Clinical Training Center for Family Planning and the UCSF PTBi. She is an Adjunct Professor at Tulane School of Public Health. After completing undergraduate studies at Princeton University and Xavier University, Dr. Crear-Perry received her M.D. from Louisiana State University and completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Tulane University’s School of Medicine. She is married to Dr. Andre Perry and has three children: Jade, Carlos, and Robeson. Her love is her family; health equity is her passion; maternal and child health are her callings.
Monica Raye Simpson
Monica Raye Simpson is the Executive Director of SisterSong, Inc. and co-founder of the Black Mamas Matter Alliance. She is a queer, black, NC native, has organized extensively against human rights abuse, the prison industry, racism, and systemic violence against Southern black women and LBGTQ people. A proud graduate of the historically black Johnson C. Smith University, she earned a bachelor’s in Communications and organized for LGBTQ rights on and off campus. She then became the Operations Director and the first person of color at the Charlotte Lesbian & Gay Community Center. Next, she trained black youth in activism, philanthropy, and fundraising as the Ujamaa Coordinator for Grassroots Leadership. In 2010, she moved to GA to be our Development Coordinator; she was promoted to Deputy Coordinator in 2011, Interim Executive Director in 2012, and Executive Director in 2013.
Monica is a nationally sought-after facilitator, speaker, and organizer, constantly called upon to travel the country for appearances. She is the only woman among the 4 founders of Charlotte, NC’s Black Gay Pride Celebration, the first in the Bible Belt, which received awards from the National Black Justice Coalition and the Human Rights Coalition for its incredible launch with 7,000 participants. She has been featured in many publications for her activism, and has written many articles on LGBTQ issues, RJ, over-policing of black/brown communities, philanthropy, and Southern activism. In 2014 she was named a New Civil Rights Leader by Essence Magazine, and in 2015 was chosen as a panelist for the Women of the World Summit. Also a full circle doula certified through the International Center for Traditional Childbirth, she serves on the boards of the Fund for Southern Communities and the legendary Highlander Center.
A singer and spoken word artist who infuses art into her activism, Monica has appeared in theatrical productions such as For the Love of Harlem, Words the Isms, Walk Like a Man, The Vagina Monologues, and For Colored Girls. She released her first solo album, Revolutionary Love, in 2015, and she has performed at events across the country, including singing the National Anthem and the National Black Anthem for the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. march and rally in Atlanta, GA. Monica created Artists United for Reproductive Justice as a project of SisterSong in order to create a platform for artists to collaborate on replicable artwork that furthers the Reproductive Justice movement.
Monica R. McLemore PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN
At the University of California, San Francisco, Monica McLemore is a tenured associate professor in the Family Health Care Nursing Department, an affiliated scientist with Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health, and a member of the Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health. She retired from clinical practice as a public health and staff nurse after a 28-year clinical nursing career. Her program of research is focused on understanding reproductive health and justice. To date, she has 69 peer reviewed articles, OpEds and commentaries and her research has been cited in the Huffington Post, Lavender Health, three amicus briefs to the Supreme Court of the United States, and two National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine reports, and a data visualization project entitled How To Fix Maternal Mortality: The first step is to stop blaming women that was published in the 2019 Future of Medicine edition of Scientific American. Her work has appeared in publications such as Dame Magazine, Politico, ProPublica/NPR and she made a voice appearance in Terrance Nance’s HBO series Random Acts of Flyness. She is the recipient of numerous awards and currently serves as chair-elect for Sexual and Reproductive Health section of the American Public Health Association. She was inducted as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 2019.
Kay Matthews, LCHW
Kay Matthews lives in Houston Texas and is the Founder of The Shades of Blue Project. Graduating with a 2 year Degree in Early Childhood Development from North Harris College located in Houston Texas, and furthered her education in the Mental Health field by becoming a Licensed Community Health Worker. She has also received numerous awards from both her community and her peers, and sits on the Board and is Partners with several National organizations.
Along with writing her first Best Seller a Self-Help Journal: 365 Days To Recovery “Finding Your Way Out Of The Darkness” and Recovery State of Mind Daily Journal. Kay is actively teaching and speaking to women of all ages to help them to better understand how important it is to advocate for themselves before during and after childbirth. Helping them to realize that they have the ability to have a successful birth outcome and assuring that they know of the resources available in which it pertains to maternal mental health. To Kay this is the most important aspect of the work she does within the community and it is the motivation that she uses to continue to educate communities worldwide.