The CDC reports that Black mothers die at three to four times the rate of White mothers and that the mortality rate of Black infants is higher than that of any other ethnic group in the U.S. Regardless of income and education level, childbirth for Black women is more dangerous than it is for White women. Even tennis legend Serena Williams had a dangerously close call during her pregnancy. In examining why these disparities are so stark, it is clear that structural and systemic racism, racialized health inequities, and implicit bias not only play a role but also signify areas within our society that desperately need improvement. In this episode, we hear from three healthcare innovators who personally and professionally—as Black women and advisors to the Black Mamas Matter Alliance—work tirelessly to advance policy grounded in human rights and reproductive justice to improve Black maternal health and lives. Tune in to hear Jennie Joseph, LM, CPM, RM, Founder and Executive Director of Commonsense Childbirth and Founder of the National Perinatal Task Force; Joia Crear-Perry, MD, Founder and President of the National Birth Equity Collaborative; and Monica McLemore, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN, Tenured Associate Professor at the University of California, San Francisco and member of the Bixby Center of Global Reproductive Health, share their wisdom, outrage, approach, and perspectives on the causes and solutions to Black maternal health disparities in the United States.

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Episode Resources:

• https://blackmamasmatter.org/
• https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2019/p0905-racial-ethnic-disparities-pregnancy-deaths.html
• https://19thnews.org/2020/08/democrats-focus-new-legislation-on-the-pandemics-effect-on-maternal-mortality/
• https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/women/reports/2020/04/14/483114/community-based-doulas-midwives/
• https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/women/reports/2019/05/02/469186/eliminating-racial-disparities-maternal-infant-mortality/
• https://www.today.com/video/-this-is-not-a-new-crisis-how-jennie-joseph-is-working-to-change-maternal-mortality-rates-1488326723774
• https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/covid-19-is-no-reason-to-abandon-pregnant-people/