Maternal Health

The Fight For Birth Equity: Unpacking the Black Maternal Health Crisis

The Mama Glow Team

July 24, 2018

Wellness Doula and Mama Glow founder Latham Thomas will moderate a critical discussion on Birth Equity, raising awareness and action around the inequality of black maternal mortality and how race deeply impacts minority women during the birthing process. This distinguished panel of revered industry leaders, advocates, activists and doctors will bring attention to the current state of the largely ignored Black Maternal Health crisis and how it’s been on a 25 year increase- an epidemic effecting black mothers, babies and families at staggering numbers, so much so that the CDC has declared the black community in a state of emergency.

The driving forces to end this disparity and put black women at the top of the feminist agenda include Stacey D. Stewart, the first black female President of the March of Dimes Organization and only the 5th in their 80 year history; Kimberly Seals Allers Author and Director of Maternal and Child Health at Communication Collective an organization focused on the health and well-being of women of color and Dr. Joia Crear- Perry President of the National Birth Equity Collective, Chair of the Black Mamas Matter Alliance and practicing OB/GYN, and Latham Thomas, founder of Mama Glow, New York’s premiere maternity lifestyle and wellness brand for women. All thought leaders and experts with the intellect, insight and expertise to bring this largely ignored crisis to the forefront of media and policy.

These women who stand on the frontlines of the insistence of change are forming a conversation that brings attention to the continual marginalization and disenfranchisement of black women and black women’s health. This epidemic is creating a lasting ripple effect on black families that will be impacted for generations to come. Women are the pillars of the community and family and are under literal attack while pleading to be heard not only for their own health but that of their unborn babies.

This discussion is being held at a key point in American history as an unrelenting cycle of blatant attacks on all women’s rights and lives that continues to occur as black women are quickly becoming an endangered species as statistically evidenced.

If you believe yourself to be a feminist, do not be silent on this issue. If you believe yourself to be an activist, speak up along side black women. If you are in the fight for reproductive justice, then put maternal health at the top of your agenda and that of your audience as we champion the cause of birth equity for every mother and every child.

Black Women make up 22% of Live Births, But 57% of Maternal Deaths
White Women make up 30% of Live Births, But 6% Maternal Deaths
The Black Maternal Mortality Rate is 56.3% which is worse than the US average at 38.9% and all other industrialized nations
The White Maternal Mortality Rate is 4.7%, which is better, thank the US average and close to that of Norway at 5%.
In NYC Black Women are 12x more likely to die of childbirth or childbirth related causes than white women