Dr. Janell Green Smith
This weekend, my social media timeline was filled with images of her beautiful smile along with tributes to her name, her light, and her legacy.
Dr. Janell Green Smith was so much more than a single title could contain. She was an advocate who worked with the Hive Impact Fund, serving as a vital resource during Black Maternal Health Week. As a certified midwife, she welcomed over 200 babies into the world, providing invaluable support to families during their most vulnerable moments. She was also a photographer, using her gift to capture the milestone moments that families would treasure forever. She was a mother whose life ended tragically during the birth of her first child. She was only 31 years old.
My heart broke when I read her story.
Her death struck a deeply personal chord with me. I have shared my own story in many spaces about the challenging birth of my daughter and the moments when I questioned whether we would both survive. I didn't feel seen. I didn't feel heard. The lack of quality treatment caused tremendous distress for both me and my child. Dr. Smith's story reminds us that even those who dedicate their lives to caring for others are not immune to this crisis.
Today, we speak her name: Dr. Janell Green Smith.
We remember her smile, her hands that caught new life, her eyes that captured precious moments through a lens. We remember all those whose lives have been lost in childbirth, mothers who should still be here, stories that should still be unfolding.
We send prayers to her family and community. And as we honor her memory, we commit ourselves to continuing the work she began: to advocate, educate, and fight for the quality maternal healthcare that every person deserves.
Her legacy lives on in every life she touched, every baby she welcomed, every family she supported. May we carry that legacy forward.
In Solidarity,
Keisha
Rev. Dr. LaKeisha Cook
Executive Director | 
