We are grateful for Roots Community Birth Center, and the many other community organizations who partner with SPH to advance public health. Roots is an African American-owned, midwife-led freestanding birth center located in a Minneapolis neighborhood with one of the highest infant mortality rates in the city. Roots uses a culturally-centered prenatal care model which respects the cultural needs and values of African American women.

Rebecca Polston, midwife and founder of Roots Community Birth Center, partnered with Associate Professor Rachel Hardeman and other SPH researchers to document this model and investigate how this type of innovative care can disrupt the link between racism and birth outcomes.