Supporting Black 
Mothers and Birth Equity

“We wanted to collaborate with the Black Families Flourishing Project because their work speaks to the heart of who we are as a church. Being rooted in a Black community, we care deeply about the lives and futures of our neighbors. While we’re called to meet spiritual needs, we also know it’s essential to understand the practical challenges families face. BFF gives us valuable insight that helps us love our neighbors well—spiritually and practically—and that’s exactly the kind of partnership we believe in.”

— Hanna Baker, Deaconess Of Community Development Anacostia River Church, Washington, DC

“In King County, we know that when Black families in our communities thrive, we all thrive. The Black Families Flourishing Project gathers in one spot decades of research to help us understand the conditions impacting Black families and the actions we can take as a local government to support their well-being. Having this evidence base at our fingertips ensures we have the most advanced knowledge to inform our work, and the predominantly Black-led team at BFF and the values they bring to the research ensures that it is culturally relevant and actionable. ”

— Carrie S. Cihak, King County, Evidence & Impact Officer (former as of January 2026)

“The Black Families Flourishing Project is a vital research initiative for those dedicated to supporting the growth and success of Black families and children. In light of the persistent deficit narratives surrounding Black families andtheir diverse communities, it is crucial to produce research and data that offer culturally relevant, factual, and actionable insights for anyone seeking to enhance the well-being of Black diasporic families in the U.S.”

— Dr. Iheoma U. Iruka, Professor Department of Maternal and Child Health, Gillings School of Global Public Health and Founding Director, Equity Research Action Coalition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

“Black Families Flourishing provides curated resources and data that challenge deficit-based frameworks about Black families and instead centers resilience, cultural strengths, and systemic contexts. The teams’ work is invaluable for researchers, educators, and those in the social sciences because it broadens theoretical and empirical approaches to family studies, moving beyond narrow or stereotypical representationsof Black families.”

— Dr. TaVshea Smith, Assistant Professor, Curriculum and Instruction North Carolina Central University

“The Black Families Flourishing Project’s work is so significant, given the most recent assault on anti-racism initiatives in the U.S. What is of paramount importance is the project’s aim of painting rich and nuanced empirical portraits of Black people’s THRIVING through the team’s rigorous, multidisciplinary research approach.”

— Dr. Mark (Akira) Nagasawa, Director | Straus Center for Young Children & Families Bank Street College of Education 

“NBCDI’s — National Black Child Development Institute — work has always centered the wellbeing of Black children through the strength and leadership of their families. The Black Families Flourishing Project advances this shared commitment by offering community-rooted insight that helps researchers, policymakers, and practitioners build systems where Black children and their families can truly thrive.”

— Dr. Leah Austin, President and CEO National Black Child Development Institute