Breaking Barriers: Exploring Black Mothers’ Resilience and Coping Strategies in Navigating Maternal Health Care Services in South Carolina

Black mothers in South Carolina face significant challenges navigating maternal health care systems shaped by structural racism, gendered power, and historical inequities. Despite these conditions, they demonstrate resilience through advocacy, relational care, and culturally grounded coping strategies. Guided by critical race theory, Black feminist thought, resilience theory, and feminist ethics of care, this qualitative study explored the resilience and coping strategies of 20 Black mothers in South Carolina using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis. The analysis identified six themes: (1) resilience through advocacy and agency, (2) empowerment through knowledge and education, (3) social support as a coping mechanism, (4) navigating and coping with structural racism, (5) seeking alternative and holistic care approaches, and (6) resilience in emotional and mental health. By centering Black women's lived experiences and relational care practices, this study advances feminist social work scholarship and highlights how Black mothers enact agency, resistance, and care within maternal health systems. Findings underscore the need for culturally responsive maternal health care, anti-racist provider practices, and integrated mental health supports to promote equity in maternal care.