Celebrity advocate council

By raising awareness about the issues impacting moms and babies, our advocates help drive attention to areas where it’s needed.

Healthy moms. Strong babies. That’s what we fight for each and every day—and the March of Dimes Celebrity Advocate Council helps amplify the impact of that work.

Tatyana Ali

Tatyana Ali is a Broadway-trained actress, singer, producer, activist, graduate of Harvard University, and mom. Known to millions worldwide from her role as “Ashley Banks” on the iconic television series, "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air", Tatyana starred in the hit BET comedy “Second Generation Wayans” and long-running CBS soap opera "The Young and the Restless". The five-time NAACP Image Award winner has appeared in numerous films, and she and sister Anastasia Ali helm "HazraH Entertainment", a production company dedicated to creating quality content for underserved communities. Tatyana is a fierce advocate. She joined March of Dimes’ Celebrity Advocate Council to help strengthen the community of moms, dads, and families that understand the importance of sharing their parenting experiences. Tatyana was the first host of "Unspoken Stories: A March of Dimes Podcast", which highlights the real and honest stories of pregnancy, parenthood, and loss that are too often left unshared.

Shawn Johnson East and Andrew East

Shawn Johnson East and Andrew East are former elite athletes, entrepreneurs, and proud parents of three. Known for their transparent conversations about love, life and parenting, The Easts share their life with their combined 11.5M+ followers across their social media platforms, their NYT-praised podcast Couple Things, and their new interview podcast Second Cup. In 2021, The Easts created FamilyMade, a media network that thrives on celebrating the joys and recognizing the realities that come with family life and parenting. Since its launch, FamilyMade has established a robust community of parents and provides resources of podcasts, live events, social media pages and a newsletter, all with a common goal of celebrating family life and offering encouragement to people of all ages and stages of family life.

This Summer, Shawn — a 4x Olympic medalist — returned to the Olympics, commentating for Yahoo Sports! Ahead of the Games, she and Andrew established the Moment Makers Foundation, a charitable organization geared to help find, foster and fuel meaningful, life-changing moments for families. The Easts kicked off their foundation with their Moment Makers Grant. Inspired by Allyson Felix’s Child Care Grant in 2021, The Easts provided funds to support moms and dads competing in the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic games to assist with their child care.

Allyson Felix

Allyson Felix is the most decorated Track & Field Olympian in history. A nine-time Olympic medalist. Six-time Olympic Champion. World Record Holder. She has won, a mind-blowing, twenty-five global medals at the Olympics and World Championships. Allyson is still honing her craft and her determination is rivaled only by the greatest of the greats. Allyson has found passions off the track which she believes are her true calling. She loves children and serves as a member of the Right To Play board hoping to raise awareness for under-served children in developing regions. For the first time in 2024, Allyson brought a nursery to the Olympic Village so athletes had access to private spaces for breastfeeding, a family lounge for playtime and a changing station - a large step forward supporting those athletes with children. Her greatest accomplishment and her greatest loves are her two children. Her first child, Camryn was born premature at 32 weeks via emergency C-section due to preeclampsia and Allyson nearly lost her life. As a March of Dimes advocate, she is sharing her experiences both as a mother and an athlete who overcame barriers put before her for being a mother. She’s calling for change everywhere from amplifying the March of Dimes Low Dose Big Benefits campaign and maternal employment policies to the way we talk about and respond to the black maternal health crisis.

Angelina Spicer

Angelina Spicer is a powerhouse comedian, author, producer, and accidental activist. With regular appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Ellen Show, and Conan O’Brien, Angelina’s original content has garnered over 100 million views on social media. Her journey into advocacy began after her personal struggle with postpartum depression (PPD), inspiring her to support mothers who often suffer in silence. Recognized by then Senator Kamala Harris and the Clinton Global Initiative for her impactful work, Angelina serves on the Reproductive Justice Action Network alongside Chelsea Clinton. Angelina collaborates with the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and March of Dimes to promote maternal mental health awareness and policy change.

As the founder of Spicey Moms, Angelina Spicer is committed to ensuring gender equity in health solutions by redefining maternal care with immediate, comprehensive support tailored to vulnerable mothers’ needs. Recognizing the critical first 48 hours postpartum, Spicey Moms provides a lifeline to mothers facing unprecedented challenges—whether single parents, survivors of trauma, or those feeling overwhelmed. With a global network of over 10,000 volunteers, including medical professionals and doulas, Spicey Moms brings essential resources, emotional support, and practical assistance to mothers in underserved communities across Europe, America, and Africa.

Through her global platforms, Angelina Spicer is using comedy to bring maternal health into the spotlight, shifting it from the shadows and driving meaningful, sustainable change. Spicer lives in Los Angeles with her husband Joe and daughter Ava.

Porsha Williams

Porsha Williams is a best-selling author, television host, media personality, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and actress. A true “cornbread-fed Georgia Peach,” Porsha was born into a historic Atlanta family as the granddaughter of Civil Rights leader Rev. Hosea Williams. She remains heavily involved in his charities, Hosea Williams Feed The Hungry and Homeless. Porsha is also vigilant with her other charitable endeavors and is an active ambassador for the March of Dimes. Porsha is the proud mother to her five-year-old daughter, Pilar McKinley.

Porsha's national bestselling memoir, The Pursuit of Porsha, published by Hachette, details how the adversity she faced in her personal and public life led to her genuine happiness. When it comes to reality television, Porsha is a fan favorite on The Real Housewives of Atlanta and starred in a variety of highly rated spin-offs such as Porsha’s Having a Baby, Porsha's Family Matters, and Season 3 of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip.

Porsha has also starred and appeared in multiple scripted projects on significant networks and stages. She co-starred alongside Vivica A. Fox and Gary Dourdan in the nationwide theatrical remake of Two Can Play That Game and has made consistent guest appearances on HBO’s Insecure, IFC's Sherman's Showcase, Fox’s Star, TV One’s Steppin’ Back to Love, and NBC’s The New Celebrity Apprentice. On the big screen, she appeared in Sharknado 5: Global Swarming and MTV's Pretty Stoned, and her beloved voice can be heard as Carlotta in the animated movie CarGo. She also appeared on the first season of Fox’s reality competition series Stars On Mars, hosted by William Shatner, which challenges how humans survive in space. She can be seen in the upcoming season of Lego Masters.

Porsha is also a successful entrepreneur who launched two distinguished businesses under her brand. Pampered By Porsha is an affordable yet luxurious sheet line that sells nationwide, and Go Naked Hair offers hair extensions, wigs, lashes, and more. She is also a Brand Ambassador for Cindy Crawford's Meaningful Beauty.