Sixty-one years after the U.S. Supreme Court decided the landmark case of Griswold v. Connecticut, Americans once again find themselves debating a question many believed had already been settled: Who gets to make personal decisions about family planning and reproductive healthcare? That question was at the center of a recent gathering near the Mississippi State Capitol, where I joined colleagues, advocates, and healthcare leaders in front of a 20-foot inflatable IUD called Fr

Mississippi is at a turning point. As we implement the Rural Health Transformation Program through the Governor's office, we have an opportunity not just to stabilize healthcare but to rethink how care is delivered across our state. That work must begin with maternal health. That's why I sent Governor Reeves with a list of recommendations to strengthen maternal and infant health outcomes through the Rural Health Transformation Program. When mothers cannot access safe, timely

Mississippi continues to face one of the most severe maternal health crises in the nation, with Black women disproportionately impacted by preventable complications and deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth. Addressing this crisis requires more than isolated reforms—it demands a comprehensive, coordinated policy response. The Mississippi Maternal Health Legislative Package that I've introduced is a holistic framework designed to strengthen maternal health outcomes acros

On August 6, 2025, I joined The Century Foundation and the Federal Policy Collective on Black Maternal Health to breakdown how the Republican reconciliation bill threatens Black maternal health in Mississippi and beyond. Watch to learn what’s at stake—and why equitable policy matters now more than ever.

This article was written for and published by Milbank Memorial Fund. As a Black woman, a state legislator, and a mother raising three...