Expecting Justice is a Black-led collaborative, mobilizing leaders from across San Francisco to take action to improve maternal and infant health in Black and Pacific Islander Communities. In San Francisco, racism and birth outcomes are intertwined. Black and Pacific Islander (PI) families experience adverse birth outcomes at significantly higher rates than other communities. Before a Black or PI child sets foot in the world, he or she is affected by historical and ongoing discrimination in housing, employment, and care.
We are aligning our knowledge, resources, and efforts to name and repair the impact of racism on the health of mothers, families, and children in our city. We envision that every birth among Black and Pacific Islander communities will be healthy and full-term by the year 2030 and that systems and services will coordinate efforts to reduce stress and the impact of systemic racism on Black and Pacific Islander parents across San Francisco and beyond.
Black women in San Francisco are twice as likely to experience preterm birth than white women. The preterm birth rate for Pacific Islander women in San Francisco is 11 percent. Our initiative envisions that every birth among these communities will be healthy and full-term by the year 2030 and that systems and services will coordinate efforts to reduce stress and the impact of systemic racism on Black and Pacific Islander parents across San Francisco.
Expecting Justice has three strategic focus: Anti-Racism Promotion, Doula Access, and the Abundant Birth Project. Our focus areas complement one another to address key dimensions of vulnerability faced by Black and PI women and people during pregnancy and childbirth: interpersonal and institutional racism in the healthcare and public health systems, plus structural racism manifested as the racial wealth gap. Based on deep engagement with community members and other stakeholders, we believe this combined approach is imperative to ensure safe and healthy childbirth for Black and PI mothers in our city.
Anti-Racism Promotion
Through training, seminars, and skill-building workshops, Expecting Justice helps participants develop awareness to recognize the impact of racism.
Doula Access
Our Doula program provides culturally congruent doula support to all Black and PI mothers through prenatal, birth, and postnatal periods.
Abundant Birth Project
The first pregnancy income supplement program in the U.S. open to Black and/or Pacific Islander San Francisco residents.
The Abundant Birth Project
In the United States, racial disparities in birth outcomes continue to persist with income inequality being one of the key contributors. Structural interventions that reduce the racial-wealth gap are urgently needed and have the promise to narrow longstanding inequities. In a community-academic partnership, Expecting Justice piloted the first pregnancy income supplement program in the US called the Abundant Birth Project.
ABP presents an opportunity to transform San Francisco into a city where all children have a healthy start at life.
In San Francisco today, far too many Black and Pacific Islander women and are shut out of the resources and opportunities they need—such as housing, respectful and quality healthcare, nourishing food, good jobs and livable wages—to have healthy pregnancies or births. We believe that no single individual or organization alone can stop this urgent issue. By rallying together as a community, we can transform San Francisco into a city where every child can be healthy, thrive and take part in our city’s vibrant future—not just now, but for generations to come.
Resources for Black and Pacific Islander Birthing People
We are aligning our knowledge, resources and efforts to name and repair the impact of racism and inequality on the health of women, mothers and children in our city. We recognize that healthy pregnancies and births are deeply connected to our lived experiences and opportunities.
We want to center the voices, experiences and solutions of Black and Pacific Islander women in our efforts to ensure that every birth in those communities is healthy. Join us and make your voices heard.
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