Janell Green Smith dedicated her life to bringing life into the world. A devoted mother, skilled midwife, and fierce advocate for Black maternal health, she spent years fighting to ensure that Black women could give birth safely, with dignity and respect. Her mission was clear: no mother should fear for her life while giving life.

Yet in a heartbreaking and painful irony, Janell became a victim of the very system she worked tirelessly to reform. Her death has sent shockwaves through the communities she served — not only because a beloved healer was lost, but because it highlights a crisis that continues to claim far too many Black women. ⚖️

For years, Janell spoke openly about disparities in maternal healthcare — about the biases, dismissals, and systemic inequities that place Black mothers at higher risk. She educated families, supported births, and stood as a pillar of strength for women who often felt unheard. To many, she was more than a midwife; she was a protector and a trusted guide during life’s most sacred moments. 🤍

Now, her own passing stands as a devastating reminder that advocacy alone cannot fix a broken system. It demands reform, accountability, and structural change. Her death has reignited urgent conversations about racial disparities in healthcare and the need for policies that protect, rather than endanger, Black mothers.

Family, friends, and colleagues remember Janell not only for her work, but for her compassion — the calm reassurance in her voice, the steady hands that welcomed newborns, and the fierce love she carried for her own children. 🌸

In honoring Janell Green Smith, the call is clear: her fight must not end here. Justice in her memory means continuing the work she began — demanding equitable care, confronting systemic racism, and ensuring that no more lives are lost to preventable failures.

Her legacy lives on in every mother she supported, every child she helped bring into the world, and every voice now rising to demand change. ✨