Southern Birth Justice Network is a left-of-center pregnancy organization in Miami, Florida, that advocates “birth justice,” a left-of-center concept of support for all pregnant individuals and support for abortion access. Southern Birth Justice Network places an emphasis on Black, brown, LGBT, immigrant, and low-income communities and advocates standing against perceived institutional racism, representing one’s “blackness,” and requiring taxpayer funding for pregnancy services. ¹

Organization

Southern Birth Justice Network was founded in 2009 by a group of volunteers to support pregnant individuals in the Overtown area of Miami, Florida. ² The Southern Birth Justice Network advocates that all people can give birth and be parents. ³ The Network uses the term “birth justice” to encompass pregnancy services that include abortion, miscarriage care, prenatal birth, and postpartum care. ⁴ The Southern Birth Justice Network seeks to make midwifery care available to everyone with an emphasis on Black, brown, youth, LGBT, and low-income communities. ⁵

The Network’s Birth Justice Bill of Rights includes standing against racism, knowing the history of and resisting institutional racism, representing one’s “blackness,” access to all birth care options, and getting support from a doula. ⁶ The Southern Birth Justice Network insists these services should be paid for by federal, state, and local governments. ⁷

Programs

The Southern Birth Justice Network hosted a trans parent day artist challenge that offered cash prizes for the best song, dance, walk, poem, photo, sketch, or art expression of a transgender or non-binary parent. ⁸ For Latin heritage month in 2020, the Network hosted a three-part program to understand white supremacy, steps to decolonization, and steps for social justice in southern Florida. ⁹

The Southern Birth Justice Network hosts birth justice workshops on how pregnancy, birth, and parenting intersect with racial, social, and economic justice. ¹⁰ Birth justice workshops use a radical approach to organize education and access to birth options. ¹¹ The Network also conducts a Circle of Mamas childbirth classes for pregnant high school students in the Miami-Dade area promoting midwifery. ¹² The Southern Birth Justice Network launched a pregnancy app targeting Black, brown, LGBTQ, immigrant, and low-income families by providing information and goals for each trimester of pregnancy. ¹³

The Network operates a mobile midwife clinic with an ambulance that provides access to a midwife for prenatal checkups, meetings with doulas to provide support and guidance, classes, and trainings. ¹⁴ The Southern Birth Justice Network is a collaborative partner with the South Florida Black Mamas Bailout to end bail for mothers, end pretrial detention, and stop of the use of ankle monitors. ¹⁵ In 2020, the Network launched the Young Mamas Leadership Institute designed for young women of color to prepare for careers in social justice, organizing, and birth work. ¹⁶

The National Black Midwives Alliance (NBMA) is a program of the Southern Birth Justice Network. ¹⁷ NMBA provides education and mentorship, supports midwife legislative activity, seeks to expand the number of black midwives, and supports midwife education opportunities. ¹⁸ The Network is a member of the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, an organization that advocates for abortion as part of health care. ¹⁹

Finances

In 2021, the Southern Birth Justice Network reported net assets of $122,848. ²⁰ According to the organization’s tax filings, in 2021 Southern Birth Justice Network recorded $505,992 in revenue and $526,441 in expenses. ²¹ In 2020, Southern Birth Justice Network raised $422,383 in revenue and reported $297,397 in expenses. ²²

Leadership

Jamarah Amani became the executive director of the Southern Birth Justice Network in 2011. ²³ Amani is a midwife and a co-founder of the National Black Midwives Alliance and founding member of the Queer and Transgender Midwives Association. ²⁴ Amani has donated to Democratic candidates in Florida since 2020. ²⁵

1. “Overtown Birth Justice Mural.” Southern Birth Justice Network. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://southernbirthjustice.org/mural-1.
2. “Overtown Birth Justice Mural.” Southern Birth Justice Network. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://southernbirthjustice.org/mural-1.
3. “Birth Justice Framework.” Southern Birth Justice Network. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://southernbirthjustice.org/birth-justice.
4. “Birth Justice Framework.” Southern Birth Justice Network. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://southernbirthjustice.org/birth-justice.
5. “SBJN’s Vision and Mission Statement.” Southern Birth Justice Network. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://southernbirthjustice.org.
6. “Birth Justice Bill of Rights.” Southern Birth Justice Network. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://southernbirthjustice.org/birth-justice.
7. “Birth Justice Bill of Rights.” Southern Birth Justice Network. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://southernbirthjustice.org/birth-justice.
8. “Trans Parent Day Artist Challenge.” Southern Birth Justice Network. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://southernbirthjustice.org/contest.
9. “Enfrentandonos.” Southern Birth Justice Network. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://southernbirthjustice.org/education.
10. “Programs.” Southern Birth Justice Network. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://southernbirthjustice.org/programs.
11. “Programs.” Southern Birth Justice Network. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://southernbirthjustice.org/programs.
12. “Programs.” Southern Birth Justice Network. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://southernbirthjustice.org/programs.
13. “Programs.” Southern Birth Justice Network. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://southernbirthjustice.org/programs.
14. “Mobile Midwife Clinic.” Southern Birth Justice Network. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://southernbirthjustice.org/programs-1.
15. “Black Mamas Bailout.” Southern Birth Justice Network. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://southernbirthjustice.org/programs-1; “Black Mamas Bail Out Action.” Black Mamas Bail Out Action. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://southernersonnewground.org/our-work/freefromfear/black-mamas-bail-out-action/.
16. “Young Mamas Leadership Institute.” Southern Birth Justice Network. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://southernbirthjustice.org/education.
17. “Programs.” Southern Birth Justice Network. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://southernbirthjustice.org/programs.
18. National Black Midwives Alliance. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://blackmidwivesalliance.org.
19. “Partners.” Black Mamas Matter Alliance. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://blackmamasmatter.org/our-partners/; “Black Mamas Matter: In Policy and Practice.” Black Mamas Matter Alliance. April 2023. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://blackmamasmatter.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/0411_BMMA_PolicyAgenda_v5.pdf.
20. Southern Birth Justice Network, Return of a Nonprofit Corporation (Form 990), 2021.
21. Southern Birth Justice Network, Return of a Nonprofit Corporation (Form 990), 2021.
22. Southern Birth Justice Network, Return of a Nonprofit Corporation (Form 990), 2020.
23. “Jamarah Amani.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamarahamani/.
24. “Jamarah Amani.” LinkedIn. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamarahamani/.
25. Center for Responsive Politics. “Jamarah Amani.” Opensecrets.org. March 22, 2021. Accessed March 9, 2024. https://www.opensecrets.org/donor-lookup/results?name=Jamarah+Amani.