Lucinda's Research
I use my lived experience as a Black woman, a historical perspective, my poetry, my art, and my research into racial disparities to offer an reproductive justice lens to improve racial disparities in maternal health.

My research interest include addressing maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity among Black women, eliminating racial disparities in reproductive health, promoting diversity in nursing, developing anti-racism initiatives and historical research in nursing and midwifery. I am exploring how the arts can illuminate and help integrate experiences of Black women during pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, and motherhood.
Storytelling is an important aspect of my research.


Current Research Projects
- Black Women’s Perceptions of Factors Impacting Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy.
- The Experience of Perinatal Loss among Black Women.
- Black Maternal Mobility in Western Massachusetts: The experience of transportation among Black Pregnant Women https://people.umass.edu/scroberts/mamabus.html
- Developing anti-racism initiatives in nursing
- RNs Reckoning with Racism in Nursing documentary project - https://reckoningwithracisminnursing.org/
- Contextualizing racial disparities in maternal health using county-level birth data
- Theory development: Using structures that oppress us to liberate us, Lucinda's House as an initiative to improve maternal health outcomes on a structural level
- Historical research on the contributions of Black nurses and midwives
More information below (scroll down)
Selected Publications
Goh, A.H., Altman, M.R., Canty, L, & Edmonds, J.K. (2023). Communication Between Pregnant People of Color and Prenatal Care Providers in the United States: An Integrative Review. Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health. http://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.13580
Jeffers, N. K., Canty, L, Drew, M, Grayson, N, Amani, J., Marcelle, E., & Amore, A. D. (2023). Beyond patient-provider race matching: Black midwives clarify a vision for race-concordant care to achieve optimal outcomes in Black perinatal health: A commentary on “Do Black birthing persons prefer a Black health care provider during birth? Race concordance in birth.” Birth.50, 267- 272. http://doi.org/10.1111/birt.12720
Iradukunda, F., & Canty, L. (2023). Decolonizing nursing education and research to address racial disparities in maternal health. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 00, 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.15624
Canty, L., Iradukunda, F., Valderama‐ Wallace, C., Shasanmi‐Ellis, R. O., & Garvey, C. (2023). What nurses of color want from nursing philosophers. Nursing Philosophy, e12423. https://doi.org/10.1111/nup.12423
Canty, L. (2023). Decolonizing nursing through the lens of Black maternal health. Nursing Philosophy, e12424. https://doi.org/10.1111/nup.12424
Vo, T., & Canty, L. (2023). Global mental health experiences of single mothers: A mixed methods research synthesis. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 79, 68–82. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.15461
Canty, L. (2022). The lived experience of severe maternal morbidity among Black women. Nursing Inquiry, 29(1) e12466–e12466. https://doi.org/10.1111/nin.12466
AJN On the Cover The American Journal of Nursing
Canty, L., Nyrati, C., Taylor, V. & Chinn, P. L. (2022). Overdue Reckoning on Racism in Nursing. The American Journal of Nursing. 122(2) 26-34. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NAJ.0000819768.01156.d6
Mokel, M. J., & Canty, L. (2020). Educational outcomes of an online educational intervention teaching cultural competency to graduate nursing students. Nurse Education in Practice. 46 (102832) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2020.10283
Canty, L. (2023). Chapter 1: Context of Individuals Seeking Midwifery Care. In Phillippi, J.C. & Kantrowitz-Gordon, I. Varney’s Midwifery. 7th Edition. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health (JMWH) – Contributing Editor for Share with Women column (soon to be Asked the Midwife): Postpartum Problems https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jmwh.13451
Selected Presentations
The Power of Intergenerational Anti-racism Work to Promote Health Equity. Anti-Racism Storytelling through the Arts & Media. Live virtual event. 2022 the 7th Annual Anti-Racism Preconference Session: Boston, MA. November 5, 2022
Maternal health workforce: Nurse-Midwifery. New England Maternal Health Summit: Community-Led Triumphs: How Community Advances Maternal Health and Wellbeing in New England. September 12, 2022. Hosted by US Department of Health and Human Services - Region 1 (New England).Video Recording
Decolonizing Nursing: What? Why? How? Center for Nursing Philosophy University of California, Irvine, September 27, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erq_FN1vlN0
- The Lived Experience of Severe Maternal Morbidity among Black Women. Presented at the American College of Nurse‐Midwives’ 66th Annual Meeting. Winner Best Podium Presentation. May 2021.
- Invited Presentation: (2023, March 23). Using the Voices of Black Women to Address Racial Disparities in Maternal Health. 42ndAnnual Perinatal Potpourri Advances in Care Conference. California Maternal Quality Care Collaborative (CMQCC), Stanford University School of Medicine, Division of Neonatal and Developmental Medicine. Virtual.
- Invited Panelist: (2023, March 27). Research Roundtable – Conducting Maternal Health Research. Sigma IOTA Chapter.
- Invited Presentation: (2023, March 30). Racism, Midwifery and Healthcare. Program in recognition of Black Maternal Health Week and National Minority Health Month, University of Pennsylvania. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl6U75Tbffg
- Invited Keynote: (2023, April 7).Using Our History to Address the Maternal Health Crisis.
6th Annual Black Maternal Health conference. Tufts Medical School. Boston, MA. Watch video - Invited Panelist: (2023, April 25). Disparate care, Disparate outcomes: How embedded Bias affects Maternal-Childcare outcomes. Massachusetts Nurses Association.
- Canty, L., Kissler, K., & Erickson, E. N. (2023, May 7). State-Level Variation in Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes for Black Birthing People. American College of Nurse‐Midwives’ 68th Annual Meeting. Orlando, FL.
- Jeffers, N., Canty, L., Dunn Amore, A., Johnson, S., & Woo., J. (2023, May 9). Resisting Racism to Transform Midwifery Education: Perspectives of Midwifery Students, Faculty, and Preceptors. The American College of Nurse‐Midwives’ 68th Annual Meeting: virtual presentation. Resisting Racism to Transform Midwifery Education: Perspectives of Midwifery Students, Faculty, and Preceptors. Orlando, FL
- Dunn Amore, A., Canty, L., Jeffers, N., Johnson, S., & Woo., J. (2023, May 9). Exploring Innovative Models of Midwifery Education: A Landscape Analysis of Midwifery Education Programs and HBCU Partnerships. American College of Nurse‐Midwives’ 68th Annual Meeting. Orlando, FL
- Invited Keynote: (with Chinn, P., and Nyirati, C.). (2023, June 6). Overdue Reckoning on Racism in Nursing. Association of Community Health Nursing Educators & Associate Public Health Nurses 2023 Joint Conference. San Diego, CA.
- Canty, L. (2023, August 2). Protecting the Mental Health and Wellbeing of Black Women Who Experience Severe Maternal Morbidity. 51st Annual NBNA Institute and Conference, Atlanta, Georgia.
- Invited Keynote: (2023, September 25). Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis through Nursing Research and Education. 2nd Annual Gunter-Gooding DEI Lecture. Pennsylvania State University. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppHiTyt6v6U
- Invited Presentation: (2023, September 21). Using Research to develop community initiatives to address maternal health. Health Equity Seminar. University of Massachusetts Amherst Institute of Diversity Sciences.
- Canty, L., Garvey, C., Iradukunda, F, Shasanmi-Ellis, R., & Valderama-Wallace, C.,. What nurses of color want from nursing philosophers. 2023 International Nursing Philosophy Conference. (2023, September 28). Sydney, Australia. Virtual.
- Invited Panelist: (with Bardonille, M., Davis, S., Gould, W., & McCamey, D. (2023, October 20). Signature Panel: Calling All Game Changers and Trailblazers: Future of Nursing Founders Roundtable Discussion. DNPs of Color 3rd Annual Conference 2023: Washington, DC.
Current Research Studies
Black Maternal Mobility in Western
Massachusetts
For more info visit: https://people.umass.edu/scroberts/mamabus.html
Paid Parental Leave: experiences after giving birth and returning to work.
Black Women’s Perceptions of Factors Impacting Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy
For more information email saharradixon@umass.edu or lcanty@umass.edu
Recruitment Flyer IRB Approved 10.20
FUTURE PRESENTATIONS
Invited Keynote: (Scheduled 2024, March 19). Connecting the Clinical to the Community to Understand Racial Disparities in Maternal and Infant Health. CT Family Wellness Healthy Start: Connecting Pathways to Decrease Maternal and Infant Mortality and Morbidity.
