CBC Annual Legislative Conference 2025: A Recipe for Equity—Improving Diet, Obesity, and Maternal Health for Black Women

WASHINGTON, DC -- Black women remain at the epicenter of America’s unfinished health equity agenda. Despite medical advances, Black mothers in the United States are still three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women, according to the CDC. At the same time, food insecurity and diet-related diseases disproportionately impact Black households—undermining maternal health, family stability, and generational wellbeing.

Federal policies and programs like WIC, SNAP, and Medicaid expansion have been lifelines, but proposed cuts to nutrition assistance and gaps in maternal health coverage reveal how fragile the social protection system remains for Black women and families.

This year’s Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference (ALC) takes on these urgent challenges. Rep. Robin L. Kelly (D-IL), Chair of the CBC Health Braintrust, is convening a powerful session to examine how federal policy and community innovation can work hand in hand to improve health outcomes:

Panel Title: A Recipe for Equity: Improving Diet, Obesity, and Maternal Health for Black Women

Date/Time: Friday, September 26, 2025 | 11:00 AM – 11:55 AM ET

Location: Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Room 201, Washington, DC

Confirmed speakers include:

• Moderator: Vayong Moua, MPA, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association

• Confirmed Panelists:

  ● Dr. Diane Young, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc

  ● Nicole Harris-Hollingsworth, EdD, MCHES, Hackensack Meridian Health

  ● Angel Gregorio, Spice Suite

  ● Tambra Raye-Stevenson, WANDA (Women Advancing Nutrition Dietetics and

  Agriculture)

  
  

Rep. Kelly underscored the urgency of the moment:

“In the midst of our country's Black maternal mortality crisis, we need to pull all policy levers to save Black moms—including food is medicine,” said Rep. Kelly. “By having more discussions around our diets and food access, Black women can lead healthier lives and pregnancies. I'm incredibly grateful to Tambra Raye Stevenson with WANDA for joining me on this panel and advancing women's health through food.”

Tambra Raye Stevenson will bring the perspective of WANDA’s on-the-ground programs and policy advocacy to the national stage.

“WANDA’s work begins and ends with Black women across the lifespan—centering the power of food, health, and culture as tools of survival and sovereignty,” said Stevenson.

“Through our policy briefs and the launch of the NOURISH Maternal Food as Medicine program in Washington, D.C., we’ve trained birth workers to use culinary nutrition and storytelling to improve maternal outcomes during pregnancy and postpartum. At a time when federal nutrition programs face cuts, we are calling for a Food Bill of Rights to guarantee women the nourishment they need to thrive, not just survive.”

The panel will spotlight solutions—such as medically tailored meals, Food is Medicine initiatives, and culturally relevant community programs—that can scale nationally to address both maternal mortality and the diet-related disease crisis.

About the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF)

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy, research, and educational institute that seeks to advance the global Black community by developing leaders, informing policy, and educating the public. Each year, the CBCF hosts the Annual Legislative Conference, the premier policy conference on issues affecting African Americans and the global Black community.

About WANDA

WANDA: Women Advancing Nutrition, Dietetics, and Agriculture is a nonprofit organization inspiring a new generation of women and girls to lead the way in building healthier communities through food, nutrition, and agriculture. Founded by Tambra Raye Stevenson, WANDA educates, advocates, and innovates to advance food justice, nutrition security, and cultural heritage in the U.S. and globally. Through programs like the NOURISH Maternal Food as Medicine initiative, WANDA equips birth workers and communities to use culinary nutrition, culture, and storytelling to improve Black maternal health outcomes and shape policy for equity.