A hard truth is coming to light in the American healthcare system. Black women are twice as likely to lose their babies to preterm birth than their white counterparts—and almost four times as likely to experience maternal mortality. Neither socioeconomic status or access to good healthcare seem to be a deterrent: a number of high profile celebrities have spoken out on the issue including tennis champion Serena Williams, who confronted life-threatening complications during childbirth, and Beyoncé, who recently experienced toxemia with the birth of her premature twins. In Mama Bear, Shirley Smith, wife of NBA Champion and Allstar J.R. Smith, offers her own experience as a pregnant Black woman, laying bare the 141-day ordeal of fighting for her own life and that of her second daughter, Dakota.