Tatyana Ali advocates for Black and Indigenous maternal health

Actor and singer Tatyana Ali is advocating for improved maternity health outcomes for Black and Indigenous mothers and babies. Her activism focuses on addressing systemic racism and inequity within maternity care.

Ali’s advocacy stems from her personal experience during the 2016 delivery of her first son, Aszi. She described experiencing what she termed ‘obstetric violence,’ stating that her birth plan was ignored and that she was physically restrained by multiple people during a chaotic and aggressive hospital encounter. She noted that the behavior of the medical staff was dismissive and caused her significant terror and panic.