Dr. Janell Green Smith's Death is Tragic. It's Also Infuriating.

Dr. Janell Green Smith made combatting the maternal mortality crisis — which disproportionately affects Black women — her life’s work. On January 2, Smith died of childbirth complications during her first child’s birth. She was 31 years old.

Smith was a Black midwife and a maternal health advocate — a person who could have made so many more strides in the fight against Black maternal mortality had she not been a victim of the very thing she worked to prevent. Her death isn’t just a tragedy; it’s also an infuriating wake-up call.

A tribute from The American College of Nurse-Midwives states: “That a Black midwife and maternal health expert died after giving birth in the United States is both heartbreaking and unacceptable. Her death underscores the persistent and well-documented reality that Black women—regardless of education, income, or professional expertise—face disproportionate risks during pregnancy and childbirth due to systemic racism and failures in care.”

And that’s just what it is: Smith had all the education and information and tools, yet it wasn’t enough. 

This is the reality women of color, but especially Black women, face in healthcare settings. It’s a constant uphill battle: No matter how much you know or learn or advocate, there’s this deep understanding that you will not be taken seriously. That you will not be cared for or kept safe…or even kept alive.

There’s a lot of discourse right now about the declining birth rate, to which I say this: Don’t try to convince women to have children. Fix the systems. The systems that put our bodies and lives at risk. The systems that fail women like Dr. Janell Green Smith every day.

How can we honor this woman’s legacy? We can continue her fight. The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among high-income nations, and racial disparities have persisted. That’s unacceptable. We owe it to Smith and the other victims of the maternal mortality crisis to continue the fight and to demand better.