Embrace Center of Excellence

07/30/2026

Our Data Justice Working Group is building community power by advancing equitable, transparent, and accessible data practices. Together with the community, we're strengthening collaboration and shaping research that drives knowledge justice and meaningful impact.

07/24/2026

This week is Black Maternal Mental Health Week, a time to recognize that maternal mental health in Allegheny County matters and that Black mothers are facing unique challenges and disparities in accessing mental health support.

If you or a loved one is struggling, please know that help is available:
📞 National Maternal Mental Health Hotline: 1-833-852-6262
📞 Postpartum Support International: 1-800-944-4773

07/22/2026

Erricka Hager, PhD, MPH (she/her) has just joined EMBRACE as a Postdoctoral Associate! Dr. Hager's interdisciplinary research employs arts-based methods to explore how Black families, particularly Black women, communicate about family health history across generations, with a focus on maternal health, by centering the voices and lived experiences of Black women.

07/14/2026

Have you met our artist in residence, Alecia Dawn Young? Alecia is a ceramic artist, scholar, and wellness practitioner who explores creative practice as a facet of community well-being. Her artistic work is deeply rooted in Black cultural traditions, specifically drawing inspiration from hair care rituals, collectivism, and community archives. Alecia dedicates her time to thriving ecosystems of community-based arts. She is an energetic thought partner; her career spans a commitment to community arts education and wellness, rooted in making, teaching, and researching in the visual arts.

07/01/2026

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A huge thank you to everyone who came out to the EMBRACE Summit and helped make it a success this year! We appreciate your presence, insights, and the many ways you contribute to the maternal-child workforce helping families flourish!

06/23/2026

“When families lack access to safe housing or basic resources, it directly impacts infant safety,” said Jada Shirriel. “If we want to save lives, we must invest in communities, strengthen maternal health, and meet families with compassion and culturally responsive care.”

Every 2024 case in the county included at least one unsafe sleep factor.

06/19/2026

Today, we honor and celebrate Juneteenth! At EMBRACE, we continuously work to advance maternal and reproductive health equity and justice through multidisciplinary research, training, practice, and policy efforts focused on Black birthing people.

Celebrate Juneteenth today and all weekend with family-friendly activities, live music, and Black-owned businesses: https://www.visitpittsburgh.com/events-festivals/annual-events/juneteenth/

06/18/2026

As part of the EMBRACE summer book club we will be reading Torn apart: how the child welfare system destroys Black families — and how abolition can build a safer world by Dorothy Roberts.

Register here for the Zoom information to join: https://pitt.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bORao77TFxPRdSS?Q_CHL=qr

We will be meeting every other Wednesday at 12pm.
June 10 – Prologue and Intro
June 17 – Part 1 (Chapters 1-3)
July 1 – Part 2 (Chapters 4-6)
July 15 – Part 3 (Chapters 7-10)
July 29 – Part 4 (Chapter 11)

06/17/2026

Our training component supports early-stage investigators in community-engaged maternal and reproductive health equity through mentorship, training, and capacity building.

06/15/2026

The number of babies who died from Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) is on the rise in Allegheny County.

“Taking action as a community means speaking openly and without blame,” said Jada Shirriel. “It means acknowledging that parents can deeply love their babies, and still be stressed, confused, and lacking the support and resources they need. It means that a parent may make a choice they believe is right in the moment, and that choice can have deadly consequences.”

Allegheny County has seen a dramatic increase in infant deaths over the last several years — nearly all of them preventable. Public health officials...