Across California, midwives and doulas are working to increase access to their services to more Black and Brown women. According to Perez, women of color have been practicing midwifery for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Traditional midwives, also known as “granny-midwives, ” were slowly erased as health care reformists pushed for midwives to become licensed professionals. Some city health departments, like Contra Costa Health Services, offer programs to people who want to be trained as a doula. On Sept. 29, 2021, lawmakers passed the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act, a federal bill that addresses the higher maternal mortality rate among Black mothers.