After nearly dying, Charlotte nonprofit director promotes Black maternal health
Her experience as a family physician — and her own medical scare after giving birth — made Dr. Jonisha Brown realize she needed to help.
Her Charlotte nonprofit, the Women’s Empowerment and Birth Equity Institute, since 2023 has been helping chart the path in Black women’s maternal health in the region. She nearly died herself after giving birth.
The nonprofit is dedicated to supporting and educating Black women through the various stages of their maternal journey, she said.
Brown, the founder and executive director, is utilizing her ten years of experience as a family physician to focus on addressing and informing Black women in the Charlotte area.
“I was always involved in health equity, clinical work and community outreach,” Brown said in an interview with The Charlotte Observer. “We like to be that space for women to tell us their stories.”
How she nearly died
Brown was inspired to establish the nonprofit organization after her own experience with a racial discrepancy in the healthcare system.
Ten days after giving birth to her second child about seven years ago, Brown went to the hospital with symptoms including profuse sweating and severe pain.
She had no previous negative health diagnosis.
She said she was transparent with a doctor, but the doctor misdiagnosed her.
“When I went to the hospital to receive care, the physician ... told me that maybe I was having a panic attack or maybe I was having heartburn.”
Luckily, she said, a cardiologist then realized she was having a heart attack.
“Having it happen to me really opened my eyes,” she said.
Brown recounted similar health experiences shared with her by women in her program.
Unfortunately one woman lost her newborn son after being overlooked by medical staff when informing them that her child’s complexion looked off, Brown said. After the loss of her child, the woman was hospitalized due to her declining mental and physical health.
Through research, Women’s Empowerment and Birth Equity Institute has discovered information that highlights the gap in maternal care between Black and white women.
In Mecklenburg County, Black women are five times more likely to die related to pregnancy compared to white women, according to Brown.
Events and outreach
Her nonprofit, which uses the acronym WEBE, hosts two monthly programs:
“Just Between Us” on the last Saturday of every month features detailed self advocacy advice by a Black physician expert. Its goal is an open and inclusive environment for women to learn about dealing with potential discrepancies and biases in the healthcare industry.
Every third Wednesday of the month, WEBE presents “Wellness Wednesday,” in which women are led in yoga and meditation sessions. These wellness workshops are meant to focus on breath work and provide stress relief.
In the two years since the program’s founding, WEBE has partnered with over 22 local Charlotte businesses. Collaborations included partnering with the YWCA for a women’s program, partnering with nonprofit Florence Crittenton Family Services and partnering with UNC Charlotte.
WEBE hopes to continue to flourish across the Charlotte area, creating more partnerships and expanding its reach within the Mecklenburg scope.
Want to get involved?
Support from the Charlotte community is important for WEBE’s survival and success, Brown said.
“Our sustainability is really impacted by people who believe in our mission, and have the capacity to give,” she said.
WEBE is always looking for volunteers. Check out their program website and donation opportunities here.
