Our Story
Building Beautiful Babies™ grew out of a shared commitment to address the real conditions shaping maternal health outcomes. Too often, families are expected to navigate pregnancy, birth, and postpartum recovery while facing stress, information overload, fragmented support systems, and significant barriers to accessing trusted guidance. We recognized that improving outcomes requires more than simply making information available. It requires making information accessible, culturally relevant, timely, and actionable.
The initiative centers on three interconnected priorities: reducing stress, expanding access to trusted education, and delivering guidance that fits naturally into everyday life. Rather than expecting families to search through complex medical information on their own, Building Beautiful Babies™ brings evidence-based education directly to Black birthing people and those who care for them through trusted community channels, engaging digital content, and opportunities to learn from leading experts.
This initiative was intentionally designed as a collaboration, bringing together complementary expertise to address both the emotional and practical realities of pregnancy and the postpartum period. Marie Boone Clark contributes decades of experience in health education, community engagement, and translating complex health information into clear, relatable guidance. Dr. Valencia P. Walker, a neonatologist and nationally recognized leader in health equity, community engagement, and medical education, brings deep clinical expertise and a longstanding commitment to advancing equitable care and strengthening the healthcare workforce.
The initiative is further strengthened by the involvement of Dr. Angela Neal-Barnett, an internationally recognized psychologist, researcher, author, and professor whose groundbreaking work has transformed the understanding of stress, anxiety, resilience, and well-being among Black women and families. A distinguished scholar and sought-after speaker, Dr. Neal-Barnett has spent decades translating cutting-edge behavioral science into practical strategies that help individuals and communities thrive. Her expertise helps ensure that Building Beautiful Babies™ addresses not only physical health, but also the emotional well-being and stress management practices that are essential to healthy pregnancies, healthy families, and healthy communities.
Together, this leadership team recognizes that healthy pregnancies and healthy babies are influenced by far more than medical care alone. Emotional well-being, social support, confidence, knowledge, and the ability to act on trusted information all play a critical role. Building Beautiful Babies™ was created to strengthen these protective factors by equipping families with practical tools, trusted resources, and culturally resonant education that helps them navigate pregnancy and early parenthood with greater confidence and support.
At its core, Building Beautiful Babies™ is grounded in a simple belief: every family deserves access to the knowledge, support, and resources needed to experience pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period as safely and successfully as possible. By combining expertise in maternal and infant health, behavioral science, health equity, community engagement, and culturally responsive education, Building Beautiful Babies™ offers a model that is both evidence-based and deeply connected to the lived experiences of the families it serves.
One Cohesive Model
