In this episode of Further Forward, Ashley sits down with Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha for a conversation that moves between ambition, motherhood, leadership, Black maternal health, racism in healthcare, joy, faith, and what it means to bet on yourself.
Dr. Amutah-Onukagha shares how she built the life she once envisioned, why discomfort is part of growth, and how Black women and birthing people can reclaim joy while still demanding better care, better systems, and better outcomes.
This is a conversation about preparation, power, advocacy, and remembering that everything you need is already within you.
About Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha:
Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha is the Julia A. Okoro Professor of Black Maternal Health in the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine.
Dr. Amutah-Onukagha is the Founder and Director of the Center for Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice (CBMHRJ), and of the Maternal Outcomes of Translational Health Equity Research (MOTHER) Lab. In addition, she is the founder of the largest conference on Black maternal health in the United States, held annually in April.
In its 9th year, the conference has recently attracted participants from
over 46 states and 10 countries. An active scholar, Dr. Amutah-Onukagha’s research investigates maternal health disparities, infant mortality, reproductive justice, and women's health, as experienced by Black women.
She also serves as the inaugural Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for the
university’s Public Health and Professional Degree Programs. A well-published author, Dr. Amutah-Onukagha’s research has been presented in nearly 100
manuscripts, 8 book chapters, a best-selling book on Amazon, and a textbook on culturally responsive evaluation. Her research has also been featured across a series of platforms, including, The Lancet, TedX, Boston Globe, Washington Post, USA Today, MSNBC, and most recently in the New York Times. She
also serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Women’s Health Issues.
Dr. Amutah-Onukagha recently served as the Principal Investigator of two multi-year studies on maternal mortality and morbidity funded by NIH and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She is an active co-investigator on several other research studies with collaborators across the country.
Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha is a nationally recognized public health scholar and leader whose work centers on advancing equity in maternal and child health. She has received numerous honors for her contributions to maternal health, including the Heroes Among Us Award from the Boston Celtics (2025),
the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the March of Dimes (2023), and the Academic Excellence in Maternal Health Award from IRTH App (2023). In 2022, she was awarded the John MacQueen Lecture Award by the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs, and in 2020 she was named one of the Top 40 Under 40 Minority Leaders in Healthcare by the National Minority Quality Forum.
In November 2025, Dr. Amutah-Onukagha began her term as Chair-Elect of the Maternal and Child Health Section of the American Public Health Association, reflecting her national leadership in the field. She also recently held a federal appointment on the Advisory Council on Infant and Maternal Mortality. In 2024, she was appointed to serve as the Inaugural Health Equity Think Tank Director for Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc, an international organization with over 125,000 members.
In 2026 she was inducted into the National Academies of Practice as a Distinguished Fellow of Public Health. Globally, she serves as a Health Equity Advisor for Salzburg Global, an independent non-profit organization headquartered in Austria.
A deeply community-engaged leader, Dr. Amutah-Onukagha is a founding member of Birth Equity Justice Massachusetts and serves on the boards of the Neighborhood Birth Center in Boston, Dr. Shalon’s Maternal Action Project, and the Ariah Foundation. She is also the President and Founder of Amaka Consulting and Evaluation Services, LLC, a minority- and women-owned public health
research and evaluation firm dedicated to advancing equity and evidence-based practice.
Dr. Amutah-Onukagha received her Master of Public Health from The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services before completing her Ph.D. in Public Health from the University of Maryland. She also completed the Kellogg Health Scholars postdoctoral fellowship with an
emphasis on community-based participatory research and health disparities.
Stay connected to the work!
- https://stateline.org/2026/04/03/its-a-safe-space-mobile-midwifery-clinics-meet-patients-where-they-are/
- https://www.blackenterprise.com/more-black-fathers-active-roles-birth-process/
- https://apnews.com/article/maternal-mortality-black-fathers-racism-1c6e39018a907eac6daf241acb8a3c41
- https://www.theflowspace.com/physical-health/prevention-longevity/ndidiamaka-amutah-onukagha-equity-black-maternal-health-3022690/
- https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/09/12/metro/doula-access-massachusetts-birth-boston/
- https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/23/nyregion/doulas-childbirth-medicaid.html
- https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/special-reports/fierce-healthcares-2025-most-influential-minority-executives
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/evaepker/2025/04/30/to-improve-black-maternal-health-look-to-an-untapped-resource-fathers/
- https://www.heart.org/en/news/2024/04/11/safety-bundles-may-reduce-pregnancy-related-deaths-particularly-among-black-women
- https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/mother-lab-tufts-university-maternal-health-care/
Further Forward: Honest Conversations on the Art of Becoming, is hosted by Ashley Mitchell.
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