Film tracks how Black maternal health crisis touched DC doctors’ own pregnancies

A documentary tells the stories of three Black women’s paths to motherhood: a D.C. doctor who survived life-threatening pregnancy complications, a D.C. doctor who struggled with infertility and a doctor who died weeks after giving birth.

“You do everything right. You have the resources. You have the knowledge. But it still is not enough to save you. Then what’s the answer?” the film, “Listen to Me,” asks.

The film explores racial disparities in maternal health, including for highly educated mothers-to-be.

“We’re exposing that it’s not because of individual behaviors. It’s not because of anything we’re going wrong, anything we are eating, how we’re living. We have the – Ebony and I have – the right ZIP codes. We have the right health insurance. We have the right education. And we’re showing across the spectrum how we’re affected in this country, and it shouldn’t be,” co-director/producer Dr. Kanika Harris said.

In “Listen to Me,” Harris shares her story of surviving pregnancy complications and reuniting with a doctor who treated her. Dr. Ebony Marcelle, the midwifery director of D.C.’s Community of Hope health centers, tells her story of infertility.

“The third woman, Shalon Irving, Dr. Shalon Irving, we tragically lost due to a postpartum maternal health death, and so, she’s not here with us,” Harris said in News4’s studio. Irving, an accomplished epidemiologist, died in 2017 at age 36.

News4 asked Harris and Marcelle what they want women to walk away with after watching “Listen to Me.”

“I want them to watch and hopefully understand that they’re not alone. I want them to also understand that especially with infertility, that your body isn’t broken and that there’s plenty of us out there who are struggling and are going to make it,” Marcelle said.

“I am really hoping folks walk away with understanding how the data plays out, understanding that this problem doesn’t begin with pregnancy,” Harris said. “It begins long before pregnancy even happens. It’s even to some extent intergenerational, and understanding that they have choices and options.”

Info on screenings of “Listen to Me” can be found on the film’s website and Instagram page.

News4’s Jummy Olabanji sits down with mothers, fathers, OB-GYNs, nurses, and a lawmaker for a powerful and deeply personal look at the Black maternal health crisis in America. From heartbreaking experiences to stories of advocacy and resilience, this special report explores what’s behind the disparities—and how the community is fighting to save lives.