Black Mamas Matter: Maternal Leadership and COVID-19 Vaccine Decisions Among Black Women in Michigan

Movements such as MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) and the resurgence of anti-vaccine rhetoric promoted by figures like Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. have amplified skepticism, particularly in Black communities already burdened by structural inequities and historical medical racism. These contemporary patterns of resistance reflect a broader continuity between COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and ongoing distrust toward public health institutions, underscoring the need for culturally grounded engagement strategies that honor lived experience and community leadership. This qualitative study examines how Black women in Michigan made decisions about the COVID-19 vaccine for themselves and their families, and how their choices influenced broader community responses to the vaccine. Using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach, we conducted 34 interviews between 2022 and 2023. In the current study we focus on the 20 Black women who were interviewed as part of the larger study. Categorized by Self-Determination Theory constructs, we found that relatedness, through a desire to protect others, was the dominant motivator, expressed through caregiving rooted in cultural traditions. Using the frameworks of Inventive Mothering and Black Mothering, we explore how maternal leadership shaped vaccine acceptance and alternative protective strategies.