Why I Founded Kindroot Doula Collective: Changing Birth for Black Women

Hi, I’m Tamika Mapp—doula, advocate, mother, and founder of Kindroot Doula Collective.

Kindroot was born out of both love and frustration. Love for my community, for the sacred experience of birth, and for the strength of Black women. Frustration with the way we are too often silenced, overlooked, and mistreated in the moments when we are at our most vulnerable.

As a Black woman and birthworker, I’ve seen firsthand how racism, bias, and systemic inequality show up in birthing spaces. We live in a country where Black women are three to four times more likely to die during childbirth than white women, regardless of education or income. These are not just statistics—they are our sisters, our friends, our daughters. And I knew I had to do something.

That’s why I created Kindroot Doula Collective.

 Support That Stays—From First Breath to Final Goodbye

At Kindroot, we offer more than just doula services. We offer comfort, partnership, and advocacy. Whether you are giving birth, grieving a loss, or navigating a complicated decision, our goal is to walk with you—without judgment, with full presence, and with radical compassion.

We specialize in trauma-informed care, serving birthing people through all outcomes—birth, miscarriage, stillbirth, and termination. We meet you where you are, because your story deserves to be honored.

Our name, Kindroot, reflects our belief that care should be deeply rooted in kindness. Birth is not a service transaction. It’s a deeply personal and powerful experience that deserves presence, respect, and community.

Changing the System, Not Just the Room

While we support individuals in the birthing room, we’re also fighting to change the system. At Kindroot, we believe every family—regardless of zip code, income, or insurance—deserves access to a doula.

That’s why we’re engaged in local and statewide advocacy, working to pass policies that:

• Expand Medicaid coverage for doula care

• Fund community-based doula programs

• Improve maternal health outcomes for Black and Brown families

• Center birthing people's voices in decision-making

  
  

We work with policymakers, public health leaders, and grassroots organizers to make doula care a human right—not a luxury.

This Work Is Personal

I didn’t become a doula just to be in the room—I became a doula to change the room.

Because Black women deserve to be listened to. We deserve to be safe. We deserve to bring life into the world surrounded by care, love, and power—not fear.

Kindroot Doula Collective is more than a business. It’s a movement.

If you’re a birthing person looking for support, an ally wanting to help, or a policymaker ready to make change—we welcome you.

Together, let’s reimagine what birth can be.