Black mothers die of issues related to pregnancy or birth at more than three and a half times the rate of white women in New Jersey. The reasons go beyond the usual barriers to healthcare, insurance, or economic support, and also involve the physical stress of experiencing racism on a daily basis.
That was the message highlighted by a coalition of advocacy organizations, led by the national Black Mamas Matter Alliance, which joined forces to celebrate the first-ever Black Maternal Health Week, which ended last week. The event was designed to coincide with National Minority Health Month, recognized each year in April.
