Honoring the Life & Legacy of Dr. Janell Green Smith, Midwife

~ Dr. Kim Murray Cruse, Founder

As we bring Black Maternal Health Week to a close, Steadfast Women in Ministry, Inc. takes a sacred moment to remember and honor the life and legacy of Dr. Janell Green Smith. She was more than a midwife, she was a vessel of compassion, a fierce advocate, and a woman deeply anchored in faith and purpose. With skilled hands and a tender heart, she helped usher countless lives into the world with dignity, care, and reverence.

Yet, Dr. Smith lost her own life in the very space where she labored to serve others. Her passing is not just a tragedy but an unacceptable reminder that the crisis of Black maternal health is not distant or abstract; it is present, urgent, and deeply personal. Black women are still fighting and still advocating for the right to survive childbirth. And we must not look away.

According to the CDC, Black women in the United States are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy‑related causes than white women. Black infants face mortality rates twice as high as their white counterparts. And perhaps most devastating of all is that over 80% of pregnancy‑related deaths are preventable.

These are not just statistics. These are stories. These are families. These are women like Dr. Janell Green Smith. This is a systemwide issue that continues to fail Black mothers.

It breaks my heart that Dr. Smith believed deeply in the sacredness of birth and the power of women’s voices and dedicated her life to the understanding that advocacy was not optional, and yet still was failed in her time of need. Proving that that even the most educated, experienced, and prepared Black women are not exempt from the inequities embedded in our healthcare system.

To every woman reading this, whether you are 16 or 76:

Your voice matters. Your body matters. and Your health cannot wait.

Ask the questions.

Challenge the answers.

Bring support with you.

Document everything.

And most importantly… advocate for another woman as fiercely as you would for yourself.

We rise higher when we rise together.!

May the memory of Dr. Janell Green Smith strengthen our resolve. May her legacy inspire us to become advocates for one another

. And may every woman who reads this feel empowered to stand boldly in her truth, her worth, and her God‑given right to live.

We are steadfast.

We are powerful.

We are necessary.

And together… HER voice will be heard.

Steadfast Women in Ministry, Inc. is committed to transforming awareness into action.

That is why we are proud to present:

HER Voice Matters: The Women’s Health & Advocacy Summit on July 25th, 2026

Because HER voice matters and HER health cannot wait.

Mark your calendars. Bring your sisters, your daughters, your mothers, your friends.

We will continue to pray, to educate, to advocate.

May God be with us all.

~Dr. Cruse