Shirley Smith is CEO of My Kota Bear, a non-profit organization that brings awareness and support to NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) families. She travels and speaks on issues of Black female mortality and premature births to educate and encourage parents and offer guidance to women who have struggled with postpartum depression. She lives in New Jersey with her family.

“Gripping…. In this affecting debut, Smith, an advocate for families with premature infants and wife of NBA all-star J.R. Smith, tells the tumultuous story of her own daughter’s early birth, the lasting effects of intergenerational trauma, and the burden Black women carry to survive in a society inhospitable to them… a captivating, important work.” — Publishers Weekly“Shirley Smith draws the vital correlation between generational trauma and Black maternal health and along the way creates a desperately needed community. Brave. Compelling. Provocative. It’s healing for the soul, and a must read.” — Gabrielle Union Wade, actress and New York Times bestselling author of We’re Going to Need More Wine“Mama Bear is the harrowing story of NBA wife, Shirley Smith, who shares the trauma of birthing her second daughter. As Smith painstakingly reveals, Black maternal health is in crisis, and there are no guarantees of survival for babies or mothers. Hopefully, Shirley’s unflinching account will inspire other Black women to tell their stories, and encourage the American medical profession to take our maternal issues seriously.” — Nefertiti Austin, author of Motherhood So White

Shirley Smith is CEO of My Kota Bear, a non-profit organization that brings awareness and support to NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) families. She travels and speaks on issues of Black female mortality and premature births to educate and encourage parents and offer guidance to women who have struggled with postpartum depression. She lives in New Jersey with her family.

“Gripping…. In this affecting debut, Smith, an advocate for families with premature infants and wife of NBA all-star J.R. Smith, tells the tumultuous story of her own daughter’s early birth, the lasting effects of intergenerational trauma, and the burden Black women carry to survive in a society inhospitable to them… a captivating, important work.” — Publishers Weekly“Shirley Smith draws the vital correlation between generational trauma and Black maternal health and along the way creates a desperately needed community. Brave. Compelling. Provocative. It’s healing for the soul, and a must read.” — Gabrielle Union Wade, actress and New York Times bestselling author of We’re Going to Need More Wine“Mama Bear is the harrowing story of NBA wife, Shirley Smith, who shares the trauma of birthing her second daughter. As Smith painstakingly reveals, Black maternal health is in crisis, and there are no guarantees of survival for babies or mothers. Hopefully, Shirley’s unflinching account will inspire other Black women to tell their stories, and encourage the American medical profession to take our maternal issues seriously.” — Nefertiti Austin, author of Motherhood So White

Shirley Smith is CEO of My Kota Bear, a non-profit organization that brings awareness and support to NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) families. She travels and speaks on issues of Black female mortality and premature births to educate and encourage parents and offer guidance to women who have struggled with postpartum depression. She lives in New Jersey with her family.

“Gripping…. In this affecting debut, Smith, an advocate for families with premature infants and wife of NBA all-star J.R. Smith, tells the tumultuous story of her own daughter’s early birth, the lasting effects of intergenerational trauma, and the burden Black women carry to survive in a society inhospitable to them… a captivating, important work.” — Publishers Weekly“Shirley Smith draws the vital correlation between generational trauma and Black maternal health and along the way creates a desperately needed community. Brave. Compelling. Provocative. It’s healing for the soul, and a must read.” — Gabrielle Union Wade, actress and New York Times bestselling author of We’re Going to Need More Wine“Mama Bear is the harrowing story of NBA wife, Shirley Smith, who shares the trauma of birthing her second daughter. As Smith painstakingly reveals, Black maternal health is in crisis, and there are no guarantees of survival for babies or mothers. Hopefully, Shirley’s unflinching account will inspire other Black women to tell their stories, and encourage the American medical profession to take our maternal issues seriously.” — Nefertiti Austin, author of Motherhood So White