Honoring the Legacy of Black Midwives in America

Lorna Owens-CEO
11 minutes ago
4 min read

Honoring the Legacy of Black Midwives in America

Guardians of Birth, Community, and Survival

For centuries, Black midwives—often lovingly known as granny midwives—served as the backbone of maternal and infant care in America. Long before hospitals were accessible to Black families, before obstetrics became a formalized medical specialty, and before Black women were welcomed into nursing or medical schools, Black midwives were delivering babies, saving lives, and sustaining communities.

Their work was not simply clinical—it was cultural, spiritual, and deeply communal. Black midwives carried ancestral knowledge rooted in West and Central African traditions, combining herbal medicine, spiritual care, and hands-on birthing expertise passed down through generations of women.

Origins: From Africa to Enslaved America

The tradition of Black midwifery in the United States has direct roots in Africa. In many African societies, childbirth was—and remains—a sacred communal event led by experienced women who understood anatomy, herbs, positioning, nutrition, and emotional care. These women were trusted stewards of life.

When Africans were forcibly brought to the Americas through the transatlantic slave trade, they carried this knowledge with them. On plantations, enslaved Black women served as midwives not only for their own communities but often for white families as well. In many regions of the South, Black midwives were the primary birth attendants for both Black and white women well into the early 20th century.

By the late 1800s and early 1900s:

Over 90% of Black births in the rural South were attended by Black midwives
In some states, Black midwives attended up to 75% of all births, regardless of race

These women were trusted because they were skilled—and because they stayed.

The Role of the Granny Midwife

The term granny midwife was not a measure of age, but of status and respect. These women were pillars of their communities.

Their role included:

Prenatal care through home visits
Nutritional guidance and herbal remedies
Labor and delivery support
Postpartum care for mother and baby
Emotional counseling and spiritual reassurance
Education for new mothers and families

They often knew every family in their region. They walked miles—sometimes barefoot—to attend births at all hours of the night. They were present not only for birth, but for grief, loss, celebration, and healing.

Erasure Through Medicalization

Despite their success, Black midwives were systematically pushed out of practice in the early to mid-20th century as childbirth became medicalized.

Key factors included:

The rise of hospital-based obstetrics
Racist narratives portraying midwives as “untrained” or “unsafe”
New licensing laws that excluded women without formal education
Segregation that barred Black women from nursing and medical schools

Ironically, this shift did not improve outcomes for Black women. In fact, maternal and infant mortality rates for Black families increased as culturally competent, community-based care disappeared.

By the 1950s:

Most granny midwives had been forced out of practice
Generations of knowledge were silenced or lost
Black women were left navigating a healthcare system that often ignored, dismissed, or harmed them

The Data Today: Why Their Legacy Matters

The legacy of Black midwives is not just historical—it is urgently relevant.

Today in the United States:

Black women are 3 to 4 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women
Over 80% of maternal deaths are considered preventable
Black infants die at more than twice the rate of white infants

Research consistently shows that midwifery care improves outcomes, especially for marginalized communities:

Lower rates of C-sections
Fewer medical interventions
Higher patient satisfaction
Improved maternal and infant outcomes

Studies also show that racial concordance—care provided by practitioners who share cultural and lived experience—can significantly reduce adverse outcomes.

In short: the very care model embodied by Black midwives for centuries is what modern maternal health now recognizes as best practice.

A Resurgence and a Reckoning

Across the country, there is a growing movement to reclaim and restore Black midwifery traditions. Black midwives, doulas, and birth workers are once again stepping into spaces of leadership—often working outside traditional systems to provide culturally rooted, respectful care.

This resurgence is not nostalgia. It is resistance. It is repair.

Why Desert Sage Honors Black Midwives

At Desert Sage, we believe wellness is ancestral. It is communal. It is rooted in care that honors the whole person—body, spirit, and story.

Honoring Black midwives means:

Acknowledging women whose labor saved generations
Recognizing that modern disparities are tied to historical erasure
Supporting pathways for women—especially Black women—to reclaim healing professions
Understanding that birth justice is human justice

The Black midwife is not a relic of the past. She is a blueprint for the future.

Desert Sage and the Future of Midwifery

At Desert Sage, honoring the legacy of Black midwives is not only an act of remembrance—it is a commitment to action. Through our ongoing philanthropic efforts, Desert Sage proudly supports scholarships for women in sub-Saharan Africa to become trained midwives, helping to address one of the most urgent maternal health crises in the world. Every scholarship represents a woman equipped with skills, knowledge, and dignity—and countless mothers and babies whose lives will be saved because of her care. By investing in midwifery education, we are continuing a sacred lineage of women healers who have always stood at the center of birth, community, and survival. When you support Desert Sage, you are helping to restore what history once tried to erase—and to build a future where every mother has access to compassionate, life-saving care.