“This week is Black Maternal Health Week, and make no mistake, Black women in our country are facing a maternal health crisis. Black women are two to three times more likely to die in connection with childbirth than other women. We know the primary reasons why—systemic racial inequities and implicit bias,” said Vice President Kamala Harris at a White House Roundtable she hosted with Ambassador Susan Rice in honor of Black Maternal Health Week. The event was the first event of its kind at the White House—Black women who have experienced loss and complications during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum were invited to share their experiences and their work in Black maternal health advocacy and research.

“We are in a staggeringly unacceptable reality where our nation has actually been the only developed nation in the world that has seen maternal mortality rates increase over recent decades,” said Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), in his remarks at a separate event hosted by the National Birth Equity Collaborative (NBEC) honoring Black Maternal Health Week and celebrating the week’s historic recognition in the White House. On April 13, the White House issued its first ever proclamation recognizing Black Maternal Health Week.

Legislators and advocates for Black maternal health gathered at the NBEC event to discuss the 2021 Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act, which was introduced by the Black Maternal Health Caucus and aims to address racial disparities in maternal mortality and tackle pandemic-related challenges that have compounded the U.S. maternal health crisis. The bill package also addresses social determinants of health including housing, transportation, and nutrition, and aims to improve maternal mortality data collection. Rep. Lauren Underwood (IL-14), who co-founded the Black Maternal Health Caucus with Rep. Alma Adams (NC-12), said she is optimistic about passing the Momnibus bill package particularly since several of the bills have gained bipartisan support. “This is what progress looks like,” said Rep. Underwood.  

Additionally, panelists celebrated the Medicaid expansion provision of the American Rescue Plan, which allows states to extend Medicaid for postpartum women from six weeks to one year after delivery. The original cutoff at six weeks postpartum was never backed by science, said Dr. Joia Crear-Perry, Founder and President of NBEC. Data shows that one-third of maternal deaths occur between one week and one year after delivery. “We keep the baby on [Medicaid] for a year. Why wouldn’t we also keep mom on for a year?” said Dr. Crear-Perry. “This is an opportunity for us to really realign policy to science.”

“I’m just really happy that finally those that are in power are embracing what those of us that have been advocating for reproductive justice, for birth justice, for human rights, have been saying for hundreds of years,” said Angela Aina, Founder of Black Mamas Matter Alliance.

While the historic recognition at the national level is essential to improving Black maternal health outcomes, the panelists agreed that continued advocacy at the local level is equally important. “We need to invest more in our communities at the local level across the nation to really amplify the evidence-based work that can actually help eliminate maternal mortality, infant mortality, and also other social health inequities in our communities,” said Aina.

“Leaders at every level, everywhere, must take on this issue. It cannot be for Black women alone to fight for their rights and to fight for their dignity,” said Vice President Harris. “Black women deserve to be heard. Their voices deserve to be respected. And like all people, they must be treated with dignity.”