For Every Black Mama

May is Maternal Mental Health Month—and at BLKBRY, we don't just observe awareness months, we live them. This issue is a love letter to every Black mama who has ever had to fight to be seen, believed, and supported. To every father showing up for his family. To every caregiver pouring in quietly, every single day. 

Black Maternal Health Week just passed, and the energy it brought—the conversations, the visibility, the community—we're carrying all of that into May. 

Come on in. 🖤

Some collaborations make sense on paper. This one makes sense in your bones.

— Meet Cheyenne Varner, Founder + Creative Director of The Educated Birth —
 

When Cheyenne Varner became a birth worker in 2016, she went looking for images of Black pregnant women to use in her work — and couldn't find them. What she found instead told her everything she needed to know about the gap she was standing in. So she filled it herself.

Today, Cheyenne leads The Educated Birth — a creative powerhouse that develops inclusive, high-quality teaching tools for pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum health education. Hundreds of illustrations. Countless infographics. All featuring pregnant people and parents who actually look like our community — different races, body types, hair textures, abilities, and more. Because as Cheyenne says: representation isn't just nice, it's a necessary part of a safe and equitable health system. 

When it came time to build our "Your Body, Your Birth" Self-Paced Childbirth Education Course, we knew exactly who needed to be in the room. Cheyenne brought her illustration expertise to the course — making sure that every Black family who moves through it sees themselves reflected in the learning, not just the language. That's not a small thing. That's the whole point.

This is what good company looks like: two organizations, built from the same conviction, making something neither of us could have made alone.

The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate of any high-income country. Over 80% of those deaths are preventable. Let that sit for a second.

The Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act — reintroduced in March 2026 — is the most comprehensive legislative effort ever put on the table to change that. It's not one sweeping bill hoping to do everything at once. It's 13 individual bills, each targeting a specific driver of the crisis — from maternal mental health and perinatal workforce diversity, to nutrition access, community-based funding, and beyond.

And here's the thing about 13 bills: you don't have to champion all of them. You just have to find yours.

What can you actually do?

The most powerful move right now is contacting your Republican representative and asking them to co-sponsor the bill that resonates most with you. Not a form letter. Not a hashtag. A real ask, from a real constituent, about a real piece of legislation that could save Black mothers' lives.

Not sure where to start? We put together a resource to help you understand the bills, find your representative, and take action — all in one place!

The data is clear. The legislation exists. What's missing is the noise. Make some.

May is Maternal Mental Health Month — and we're not letting it pass without saying something real.

Black mothers experience postpartum depression, anxiety, and birth trauma at significant rates. And yet we are among the least likely to be screened, believed, or connected to care. The stigma is real. The access gaps are real. And the silence costs lives.

Here's what you need to know:

• 1 in 5 mothers experience a maternal mental health condition — and for Black mothers, that number is compounded by racism, medical mistrust, and systemic barriers that have never been addressed at scale.

• The symptoms don't always look like sadness. They can look like rage, numbness, hypervigilance, or disconnection. If something feels off postpartum, that is information — not weakness.

The most powerful thing you can do for a Black mama this month isn't a gift. It's making sure she knows she's not alone — that there are spaces, people, and programs that were built specifically for her.

Here's how you pour back in this May:

🖤 Share this newsletter with a Black mama, caregiver, or family member who needs to know BLKBRY exists. That single act is community care.

🖤 Save the hotline and send it to someone who might need it. Access the 24/7 Free National Maternal Mental Health Hotline by call or text: 1-833-943-5746
🖤 Follow us and bring someone with you. When you share our content, you help us reach the families we were built for.

To every Black mama reading this: you are not too much. You are not dramatic. You are not alone. This village was built for you. 

Happy Mother's Day, sis. 🖤 

From our village to yours, Jazmin + The BLKBRY Team