Kerry Washington Joins Elaine Welteroth’s BirthFUND100 To Raise $1M For ‘Mothers Who Have Been Failed For Far Too Long’

Kerry Washington is teaming up with Elaine Welteroth’s BirthFUND in response to recent cases of Black mothers being denied care during labor.

Kerry Washington is teaming up with Elaine Welteroth’s BirthFUND100 to raise $1 million to support mothers, responding to viral cases of Black women being turned away from hospitals while in labor.

On Dec. 2, Giving Tuesday, Washington took to Instagram for a call to action to mobilize a “cultural power list” of 100 leaders, “to stand in the gap for mothers,” in helping raise funds in support of BirthFUND’s mission to provide mothers in need with “real support, real resources, and real protection when it matters most.”

“I saw you sitting in that hospital room, folding inward with fear, screaming out in your suffering, every contraction a question. Will anyone here help me? Can they not see my pain?” Washington said in the video.

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As the Scandal star spoke, clips and viral videos highlighted recent incidents of Black mothers being turned away from hospitals during active labor, including Mercedes Wells at Franciscan Hospital in Crown Point, Illinois—a case that led to the introduction of the maternal health WELLS Act.

“No woman should have to prove she is worthy of care. No mother should have to fight to be seen as human while bringing human life into this world. Your body was speaking truth, and they chose not to listen,” Washington said. “Because what happened to you is not just cruelty. It is history repeating itself in real time. It is bias disguised as protocol. It is neglect disguised as neutrality. It is a system failing Black and brown women in the moments that matter most.”

Research indicates that Black women face far higher risks of death and complications during pregnancy and childbirth—2.6 to 3 times higher than White women—due to systemic racism, socioeconomic disparities, and implicit bias in healthcare. Recent data sets show roughly 50–70 deaths per 100,000 live births for Black women, compared with 14–19 for White women, even as overall maternal mortality declines.

“That just helps frame how dire some of these situations are and just how afraid many Black women and women of color are of the hospital system,” Welteroth said. “…That is why we have to create a pipeline for more community birth workers who look like the patients that they [serve], who can [serve] them in a way that is respectful and empowering and dignified and in their own home, if that’s their preferred choice.”

When launching BirthFUND in 2024 with Serena Williams, Welteroth shared how a midwife saved her life after spotting post-birth blood clot symptoms. Midwives play a critical role in reducing maternal and neonatal deaths, especially for Black women, research shows, by providing culturally competent, holistic care.

Citing viral cases of Black mothers being denied care and how the BirthFUND was able to support a mother of five who needed an at-home birth, Welteroth emphasized the urgent need for a larger, diverse pool of birth workers.

“That just helps frame how dire some of these situations are and just how afraid many Black women and women of color are of the hospital system,” Welteroth told AfroTech. “…That is why we have to create a pipeline for more community birth workers who look like the patients that they [serve], who can [serve] them in a way that is respectful and empowering and dignified and in their own home, if that’s their preferred choice.”

Through its latest campaign to engage “100 culture changemakers” and raise $1 million for a rapid relief fund, BirthFUND100 seeks to address urgent challenges facing mothers and families, including food insecurity, unsafe housing, transportation barriers, and medical emergencies, joining Welteroth and Washington as cultural impact partners are Michelle Monaghan and entrepreneurs Laura Modi and Nancy Twine.

“#BirthFUND and #BirthFUND100 are uplifting mothers who have been failed for far too long. And together, we can help make birth safe, equitable, and full of dignity for EVERY parent,” Washington wrote on Instagram.