Dr. Janell Green Smith, CNM, a South Carolina midwife who was passionate about her work, family, photography, travels, has died from complications related to childbirth.
Proudly calling herself a “Loc’d” Midwife,” she was an advocate for Black maternal health, partnering with the nonprofit organization and app Hive Impact Fund, which acts as a resource for parents during early childhood, for Black Maternal Health Week.
In a statement posted on social media, the American College of Nurse-Midwives called Dr. Green Smith’s death a “profound failure of the systems meant to protect birthing people.”
“That a Black midwife and maternal health expert died after giving birth in the United States is both heartbreaking and unacceptable,” the statement said. “Her death underscores the persistent and well-documented reality that Black women—regardless of education, income, or professional expertise—face disproportionate risks during pregnancy and childbirth due to systemic racism and failures in care.”
Dr. Green Smith became a certified midwife in 2021, and received her Doctor of Nursing Practice in 2024. On Instagram, she wrote about how the death of her mother in 2023 almost prevented her from pursuing the DNP, and that she withdrew from the program and reenrolled the next year.
“Moral of the story: The strength He gives in the storms of life is sufficient to carry you through any hurt if you allow it,” she wrote in the post reflecting on her journey.
Outside of midwifery, Dr. Green Smith was a photographer, calling herself a “Certified Nurse Midwife catching babies & angles.” With her camera, she captured everything from engagement shoots to baby announcements to family portraits.
Green Smith was just in her early 30s when she died. A GoFundMe has been posted to help raise money for Dr. Green Smith’s husband, Daiquan, and for her newborn.
