THURS-002 - Our Mamas, Our Mission: Advancing Black Maternal Health Through Policy and Advocacy in Mississippi
Thursday, April 23, 2026
11:45 AM - 12:45 PM PST
Location: Plaza Foyer, Plaza Level
Area of Responsibility: Area V: Advocacy Keywords: Advocacy@@@Health Policy@@@Maternal and Child Health@@@Partnerships and Coalitions, Subcompetencies: 5.3 Engage in advocacy., 5.2.4 Educate stakeholders on the health issue and the proposed policy, system, or environmental change. Research or Practice: Practice
Program Manager Six Dimensions Jackson, Mississippi, United States
Learning Objectives:
At the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Describe the advocacy strategies used to build momentum for diaper tax elimination in Mississippi.
Analyze the role of coalition-building in sustaining long-term policy efforts to improve maternal health equity.
Brief Abstract Summary: This session highlights how Six Dimensions is building policy momentum and coalition power to improve Black maternal health outcomes in Mississippi. Through organizing Black Maternal Health Day at the Capitol, advancing public awareness around the economic burden of the diaper tax, and building a multi-sector advocacy coalition, Six Dimensions is working to shift the policy landscape in one of the most politically conservative states. Participants will explore strategies for coalition-building, storytelling, and grassroots organizing to support health equity policy efforts, even when legislative wins are still on the horizon.
Detailed abstract description: In Mississippi, Black women continue to experience disproportionately poor maternal health outcomes due to systemic barriers, economic inequity, and lack of political prioritization. In response, Six Dimensions, a Black women-led public health organization, has been organizing community-driven advocacy efforts to bring attention to the social and economic barriers that impact Black mothers—starting with the fight to eliminate the state’s sales tax on diapers.
While the bill to eliminate the diaper tax did not pass during the 2025 legislative session, the campaign helped to spotlight how this tax places an unjust financial burden on families and connected that burden to broader maternal and infant health disparities. As part of the strategy, Six Dimensions hosted the state’s first Black Maternal Health Day at the Capitol, giving families, birth workers, and grassroots leaders an opportunity to speak directly with legislators and amplify lived experiences.
This session will walk attendees through how the campaign was structured, covering coalition building, engaging media, legislative education, and community mobilization. Presenters will also share key lessons from navigating a deeply conservative legislative landscape, and how they’re building a foundation for long-term policy wins, even in the absence of immediate legislative success.
By using economic justice and reproductive justice frameworks, this presentation will provide attendees with an overview for how community-rooted advocacy efforts can push maternal health policy forward, even in difficult policy climates.
