The Black Birth Project

Harnessing the narratives of Black birthing persons to support service improvements in Canadian reproductive healthcare.

About Us

The Black Birth Project is a community-based research project aimed at addressing current gaps in Canadian research about Black birthing people. In the US, Black women are 3 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes while in Canada, there isn't sufficient race-based data collection or analysis to understand what the Black maternal mortality rate is.

One study has found that the preterm birth rate of Black infants in Canada is similarly disproportionate to the rate in the US. Unfortunately, there aren't widely available stats to better understand the needs of Black birthing people and where the health care system can better support us. Much of the other research that exists about Black people in medical settings and specifically related to birth are US based which for a variety of reasons, often isn't applicable to the Canadian context.

This project is an act of community care focused on empowering Black birthing people with resources and providing training & workshop opportunities for healthcare professionals.

Meet the Team

The Black Birth Project is co-founded by two Black perinatal health advocates who are passionate about making change in Canadian health care.

Co-Founder

Cheyenne Scarlett

MA, BCD, ECE, Certified Doula & Childbirth Educator

Cheyenne is a perinatal health advocate, speaker, educator and mother. Back in 2020 she completed her master's research project on the childbirth experiences of Black women in the GTA. While interviewing 30 women who took part in the study, she realized that there needed to be a space to talk about our birth and reproductive experiences. That’s when she started Black Births of Toronto, a spin on Humans of New York! Now, know as the Black Birth Project, she is excited to bring her passion for reproductive justice to this project.

Co-Founder

Kamika Sylvester

BSc, BSCN, Registered Nurse

Kamika has a passion for health equity and teaching people how to advocate for themselves in our convoluted healthcare system. Her passion stems from her experience working in the system for over 9 years and accessing it as a patient for the past 11 years. While completing her nursing education, she chose to study Black Maternal Health which uncovered for her the harsh reality…black birthing persons are more likely to die giving birth but there is no available data to support our experience in Canada. She is determined to address this gap in data and a lack of awareness about obstetric violence.