Courtesy of NBEC
The National Birth Equity Collaborative is celebrating the upcoming 5th annual Black Maternal Health Week and, of course, MADAMENOIRE has it on our radar.
This year’s heightened week of awareness and activism centering Black birthing and reproductive matters will be from April 11-17.
Created by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, the campaign aims are to encourage community building around Black maternal wellness and intentionally deepen the national conversation about Black birthing people’s health in the United States.
Specifically focusing on Black-led entities and efforts related to maternal health, birth and reproductive justice, BMHW also amplifies community-driven policy, research and care solutions while providing a national platform for those resources to gain widespread attention and enact positive change.
“The maternal health crisis affecting Black women and Black birthing people continues to plague our community,” summarized Dr. Joia Crear-Perry, President and Founder of NBEC. “Black Maternal Health Week 2022 is a week of necessary conversations that bring awareness about and advocate for Black women, Black birthing people and the communities that support and empower the complete person.”
MN’s covered BMHW in the past, and our site is thrilled to partner with NBEC as an official media partner for BMHW22 via our iOne Digital family.
As a press release outlines:
Black mothers in the United States are 2-3 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. Adverse maternal health outcomes impact Black birthing people at all income and education levels. The reasons behind these racial inequities are multifaceted, including lack of access to health care and poor quality of care. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), even college-educated Black women die at higher rates from pregnancy-related causes than white women who didn’t finish high school.
Featured participants throughout the week will include Alexis McGill (Planned Parenthood), Tatyanna Ali (Actress/Advocate), Charles Johnson (4Kira4Moms), Latham Thomas (Founder, Mama Glow), Laurie Bertram Robinson (Yellowhammer Fund), Sherri Doucette (Mama Glow Doula), Oneda Horne (Room to Grow) and many other experts, activists and supporters in birthing and reproductive justice.
Some of the events slated on this year’s program for attendees include maternal yoga, meditation and wellness sessions, sexual intimacy workshops, a fireside chat with members of Congress about the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act and an interactive workshop called “Our Bodies, Our Selves” that’ll discuss how Black women are uniquely impacted by reproductive health issues such as PCOS, fibroids, and postpartum depression.
To learn more about the week’s schedule, register for events, or become a sponsor, visit http://www.birthequity.org/bmhw22.
RELATED CONTENT: “Want To Do Your Part? Here Are Some Helpful Ways To Observe Black Maternal Health Week, According To Master Birth Doula Latham Thomas”
