ATLANTA — Charles Johnson is a father, a cook, and a soccer coach. To his little ones, Charles and Langston, he is the coolest dad ever. For the last seven years, Johnson has been raising his boys on his own with his late wife, Kira, watching over them.
In 2016, Kira Johnson died in the hospital just hours after having their youngest son Langston. Her death came following an hours-long wait for help after Charles noticed blood in Kira’s catheter. Once doctors finally came, Charles said he was told Kira would be back in 15 minutes.
That was the last time he saw her alive.
“We walked in for what we expected to be the happiest day of our life. And we walked straight into a nightmare,” said Johnson. “Every single way that she could have been failed…she was failed.”
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Kira Johnson: Charles and Langston's mommy
Two years after Kira’s death, Charles shared his story with lawmakers in Congress. It was an emotional and detailed testimony, shedding light on the reality they faced that day at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
“It really makes me emotional thinking about that moment because it was something that I had literally envisioned in my mind. Sitting before Congress telling my story, telling them how amazing Kira was and explaining to them how deeply she was failed by the system,” said Johnson.
Since that moment in front of Congress, Johnson has been very vocal and active in the fight for the maternal health of Black women, who are three times more likely to die from childbirth than white women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
He joined other activists and lawmakers to push for the passage of laws to protect Black mothers. Among those measures passed, was The Preventing Maternal Deaths Act of 2018, a federal initiative funding maternal mortality review committees. The purpose of the committees is to collect data on maternal mortality and develop solutions to support maternal health. Another measure included in the American Rescue Plan expanded Medicaid postpartum health coverage from six months to one year for mothers.
He’s continued the push to protect mothers with his own movement 4Kira4Moms, an organization fighting for Black maternal health through advocacy, education, and service. While the mission was ignited by maternal health, Johnson is fighting for dads too.
“There are a lot of men that I have developed relationships with. I wish we didn’t have this bond, but we do” said Johnson. “I was talking to one guy who had a teenage daughter contemplating suicide. Then he turned around and told me, ‘Hey Charles look, I was dealing with suicidal thoughts on my own and so deep in my mind, I didn’t realize that my teenage daughter was considering hurting herself.'"
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Meet Kira and Charles Johnson
With the help of his mother, Judge Glenda Hatchett, and his community, Johnson has continued his daddy duties, giving Charles and Langston the world.
“I’m always really straightforward, my boys saved my life. In the midst of what was one of the hardest things I’ve ever dealt with and still dealing with, they are a constant source of joy,” said Johnson. “There is so much of Kira present in my boys. They are fearless. I’m talking about wearing a grown man out at Six Flags. They’re competitive, they’re kind, and they don’t back down from anything. It’s very consistent with who their mom was – who their mom is.”
Johnson is now continuing the legislative push to pass a Federal Momnibus Act which includes the Kira Johnson Act. The measure would provide direct funding to local maternal health organizations led by women of color. The legislation was reintroduced by Sen. Raphael Warnock and Cory Booker in 2023.
Mothers Matter: Watch the full series