The United States is facing a maternal and infant health crisis, and African American women are at the center. African American women are dying from preventable, pregnancy-related causes at three to four times the rate of white women. Infants born to African American mothers die at twice the rate of infants born to white women. The impacts of structural racism on maternal health outcomes for women of color are felt both within and outside of medical institutions. Eliminating maternal and infant mortality demands acknowledging that racism is the driving force behind health disparities and centering women of color in policy and community-driven solutions. Join us for a discussion with women of color experts in the maternal and infant health field that focuses on policy solutions.
Opening remarks:
Neera Tanden, President and CEO, Center for American Progress
Remarks:
U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris (D-CA)
Panelists:
Breana Lipscomb, U.S. Maternal Health and Human Rights Campaign Manager, Center for Reproductive Rights
Jennie Joseph, Founder and Executive Director, Commonsense Childbirth Inc.; Creator, The JJ Way
Myra Jones-Taylor, Chief Policy Officer, ZERO TO THREE
Nana Matoba, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Neonatology), Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Nina Martin, Reporter, ProPublica
Moderator:
Jamila Taylor, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress