Black Health Equity Coalition

10/14/2026

🎉 One Year of Eric’s ID Law! 🦋
October 1 marks the one-year anniversary of Eric’s ID Law, a milestone worth celebrating! What began as advocacy, determination, and a commitment to making a difference has become a law that continues to impact lives across Maryland.
During the anniversary celebration ceremony, Legislative Chair Nicole Smith was completely surprised when she was presented with the Humanitarian Award in recognition of her advocacy and dedication to the Eric’s ID Law movement. 🦋💙
This recognition was unexpected and deeply meaningful. LC Nicole is grateful to everyone who trusted her, stood beside her, and helped amplify the importance of this legislation.
One year later, the work continues. The impact continues. And the mission continues.
🦋 Happy 1st Anniversary to Eric’s ID Law!


10/14/2026

Meaningful change takes time, community, and collaboration.

Since 2022, Frederick County’s Black maternal health work has grown from listening to Black mothers through the Community Advisory Board (CAB), to identifying systemic racism as a root cause of disparities, to developing strategies through the Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP).

Today, that foundation is driving action through the Frederick County Health Department Black Maternal Health Initiative and Black Health Equity Coalition continues to lead the activities in three workgroups including doula and breastfeeding specialist training programs and community events like our recent graduation celebration and the upcoming December 2nd Walking Together: Centering Anti-Racism in Black Maternal Care.

Every milestone reflects years of community input, partnership, and dedication to advancing equitable maternal care.

This is what happens when community voices lead the way.

10/14/2026

SAVE THE DATE | DECEMBER 2, 2026

What does it look like to create safer, more equitable maternal healthcare for Black families?

Join us for Walking Together: Centering Anti-Racism in Black Maternal Care, an immersive training experience designed for physicians, nurses, social workers, and other maternal healthcare professionals.

Together, we’ll explore how listening, learning, and addressing racism in healthcare can help build stronger systems and improve outcomes for Black mothers and families. 🖤

📍 Frederick Health Village | 1 Frederick Health Way Frederick, MD 21701
🕗 8:00 AM – 12:30 PM

Registration information coming soon! Stay tuned for more details.

Presented by the Black Health Equity Coalition in collaboration with the Frederick County Health Department , and Health hospital

10/10/2026

10/09/2026

Every story has the power to spark change.

The Black Health Equity Coalition of Frederick is creating space for Black women to share their experiences with pregnancy, birth, and postpartum healthcare. By listening to these stories, we can raise awareness of disparities in care, encourage meaningful conversations with medical professionals, and work toward a more equitable healthcare system for Black families.

Your voice can help shape a better future for maternal health.

Interested in participating? Scan the QR code or click the registration link below, to learn more and sign up. Know someone who may be interested? Share this post to help us reach more members of our community!

Registration: https://forms.gle/42sMAgMhT6jcAoQW9

10/02/2026

Join Eric Byrd, local musician and Founder & Executive Creative Director of the Frederick Jazz Society, for a One Maryland, One Book program connected to the 2026 selection, No Sense in Wishing by Lawrence Burney. This multimedia and discussion-based program will explore how Black musicians turn social observation into sound, with a focus on how rhythm, voice, groove, and musical texture have been used in jazz and hip-hop to reflect community, place, struggle, hope, and social change.

Using local Black artists such as Gil Scott-Heron and Lester Bowie as key examples, the program will connect these musical traditions to Burney’s reflections on music, Baltimore, memory, and Black cultural life. This program is part of the One Maryland One Book (OMOB) theme: Revolution, Reaction, Reform.

Thursday, October 15
7:30 p.m.
Urbana Regional Library

https://loom.ly/WfaSGNk

09/25/2026

Celebrating our incredible birth workers! 💜

To all of the doulas and breastfeeding specialists who graduated, congratulations on this meaningful achievement! Your dedication, compassion, and commitment to supporting families in our community are truly inspiring.

A special thank you to Coco Life for creating this beautiful video message to celebrate and honor our graduates. Your words of encouragement mean so much!

Please join us in celebrating the newest members of our birth worker community! 🎓✨

09/17/2026

This Friday, September 18, Dr. Kimberly Turner will be moderating Every Week Counts: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Preterm Birth. As an OB/GYN and a powerful advocate for maternal health, both nationally and right here in our community, Dr. Turner brings the expertise and heart this conversation deserves. We’re proud to uplift her voice and encourage our community to tune in.

Preterm birth remains one of the most pressing challenges affecting maternal and infant health and addressing it requires more than one perspective.

Join the Maternal Health Research Collaborative (MHRC) for:
“Every Week Counts: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Preterm Birth”

Friday, September 18, 2026
11:30 AM–1:00 PM EST

This important webinar brings together perspectives from maternal-fetal medicine, obstetric nursing, pediatrics, community advocacy, and social work to explore preterm labor and birth from multiple angles.

Together, our panelists will discuss prevention strategies, clinical management, outcomes for premature infants, and the emotional and practical challenges families experience; while highlighting resources and support systems that can make a difference.

Whether you are a healthcare professional, researcher, advocate, student, or someone passionate about improving maternal and infant health, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

Register today by clicking the link:
maternalhealthrc.org/webinar-mhrc-presents-every-week-counts-a-multi-disciplinary-approach-to-preterm-birth/

Every week matters. Every voice matters. Every opportunity to improve outcomes matters.

09/17/2026

04/16/2026

Held annually on April 11-17, BMHW is a week-long campaign founded and led by BMMA, Inc. (Black Mamas Matter Alliance) to build awareness, foster activism, and community-building, amplifying the voices, perspectives, and lived experiences of Black Mamas and birthing people. The week is intentionally held during National Minority Health Month and begins on April 11th annually to join dozens of global organizations in marking this day as International Day for Maternal Health and Rights - an opportunity to advocate for the elimination of maternal mortality globally. The activities and conversations hosted throughout the week intentionally center on the values and practices of the birth and reproductive justice movements.