Elizabeth Dawes Gay | MTV
We’re all familiar with the African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child.” When it comes to Black maternal health in the United States, let’s adapt that to create a new African-American proverb, “It takes a village to save Black moms.” The maternal mortality rate in the U.S. is rising and Black women bear the brunt of it, but that’s not where our story ends. We all have the power to create a new narrative by supporting new and expecting moms.
In the U.S., Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women, even when education and income are accounted for, and are also more likely to experience pregnancy complications. The issues affect people across socioeconomic status and all walks of life; two of the world’s biggest stars, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Serena Williams, both shared how they survived life-threatening complications and, in doing so, helped spark important public conversations about what’s happening to Black moms in the U.S.
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