#Heartbeats
Every heartbeat represents hope. Every pregnancy should end with the safe arrival of a healthy baby and mother.
#Heartbeats was inspired by the U.S. women's 4×100-meter relay team that won gold at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Learning that three members of the team—Tori Bowie, Allyson Felix, and Tianna Bartoletta—experienced severe pregnancy-related complications, and that Tori Bowie later died from complications of childbirth, led me to research the maternal health crisis affecting Black women in America. What I discovered was heartbreaking: Black women are significantly more likely to experience severe pregnancy complications and maternal death, regardless of education or socioeconomic status.
My commitment to this work grew even stronger after Serena Williams shared her own life-threatening childbirth experience and following the passing of Dr. Janell Green Smith ("Loc Midwife"), whose advocacy inspired so many families and healthcare professionals.
The quilt portrays five pregnant women, each representing strength, hope, and new life. The soft background colors reflect the paint colors expectant parents might choose for a nursery, symbolizing dreams and anticipation. Beneath each woman is a heartbeat representing both mother and child. Under the fifth woman, however, the heartbeat becomes a flat line—a powerful reminder of lives lost too soon and families forever changed by preventable maternal deaths.
Through the tradition of quilting as storytelling, #Heartbeats gives voice to mothers who can no longer speak. It honors the Black women whose lives ended too soon, the families they left behind, and those working to eliminate inequities in maternal healthcare. More than a memorial, this quilt is a call to action, reminding us that every heartbeat—and every mother—matters.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this artwork will be donated to organizations working to improve maternal health outcomes and eliminate disparities in care for Black women.
