Everyone gets to see the beauty of the tree in bloom, but without the ROOTT beneath, it would not grow. There is another story about Black mothers, infants, and families. One that begins with the root causes of our health disparities and can end with our joy and growth. Listen to us. Trust us. Allow us to create our own narrative. One in which our Black is not a source of scarcity and risk, but rather the answer to our living and thriving. ROOTT is Restoring Our Own Through Transformation. For Us, By Us. Jessica Roach is the co-founder and C.E.O. of Restoring Our Own Through Transformation, (ROOTT) a Non-Profit, Black Women led Reproductive Justice Organization focused on Maternal Child Health and Birthing Justice Columbus, Ohio. Her work has spanned over 20 years in areas such as clinical nursing, public health advocacy and independent scholarship. Ms. Roach has a deeply experiential perspective in her research both personally and professionally, related to the effects of stress related to structural determinants, and the social determinants created as consequence of those structures, with a focus on inter-generational and historical trauma as it relates to policy development. She has served as a full spectrum doula, homebirth midwife and assistant, consultant to various organizations and is the mother of three young women, one of which was a pre-term infant. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx