Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is...
For Black women in America, giving birth has never been just about labor and delivery—it has been a battle for survival. Despite advancements in modern medicine, Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. This disparity exists regardless of income, education, or access to healthcare. The reality is clear: racism, not race, is the root cause of these alarming disparities.
Dr. Monica McLemore, a nurse-scientist and reproductive justice advocate, has spent her career researching Black maternal health and advocating for birth justice—a movement ensuring that all people have the rights, resources, and respect they need for safe pregnancies and healthy births. Her work highlights the systemic failures that put Black mothers at risk, but also the solutions—patient-centered prenatal care, community-led birth initiatives, and policy changes that prioritize Black women’s health.
In this article, we take a deep dive into the state of Black maternal health today, the racial disparities in birth outcomes, and the push for birth justice, drawing from McLemore’s research and advocacy to offer key takeaways and action steps.
The Black Maternal Health Crisis: A Systemic Failure
The statistics on Black maternal mortality are staggering:
📌 Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women.
📌 60% of maternal deaths in the U.S. are preventable.
📌 Black infants are twice as likely to die before their first birthday as white infants.
This crisis is not the result of biological differences, personal health choices, or socioeconomic status. Even Black women with high incomes and advanced degrees face worse birth outcomes than less educated, lower-income white women.
Dr. McLemore’s research has shown that Black women often experience:
- Implicit bias in healthcare settings, leading to delayed treatment and ignored symptoms.
- Chronic stress from racism (also known as "weathering"), which negatively impacts pregnancy outcomes.
- Limited access to culturally competent prenatal and postnatal care.
The message is clear: Black maternal deaths are preventable, and the system must change.
Patient-Centered Prenatal Care: A Solution We Can’t Ignore
One of the most significant findings from Dr. McLemore’s research is the impact of patient-centered prenatal care—a model that prioritizes the voices, experiences, and needs of Black mothers.
She has found that when Black women are heard, respected, and supported throughout their pregnancies, health outcomes improve. Yet, far too often, their concerns are dismissed.
Consider the case of Serena Williams, who nearly lost her life after giving birth because doctors ignored her symptoms. Despite being one of the most famous athletes in the world, she had to fight to be taken seriously when she experienced life-threatening complications. If it can happen to Serena Williams, what happens to everyday Black women navigating the healthcare system?
McLemore’s research highlights key solutions:
✅ Increase the number of Black healthcare providers to ensure culturally competent care.
✅ Expand midwifery and doula services to provide Black women with additional support during pregnancy and childbirth.
✅ Train healthcare professionals on implicit bias to prevent life-threatening neglect.
By shifting toward patient-centered, trauma-informed care, we can begin to close the racial gap in maternal health outcomes.
The Push for Birth Justice: More Than Just Access to Care
Birth justice is about more than just ensuring access to hospitals and doctors—it is about bodily autonomy, dignity, and the right to a safe and respectful birthing experience.
The Reproductive Justice framework, developed by Black women activists in the 1990s, asserts that all people have the right to:
✅ Have children safely.
✅ Not have children if they choose.
✅ Raise their children in safe, supportive environments.
Dr. McLemore’s work aligns with this movement by focusing on how Black women’s lived experiences shape their reproductive health outcomes. She advocates for policies that address:
- Economic and environmental factors that impact pregnancy, including housing, nutrition, and employment.
- Community-based healthcare models that provide culturally competent, holistic care.
- Medicaid expansion for postpartum care, recognizing that many maternal deaths occur in the months following childbirth.
Her research shows that when Black women are supported holistically—medically, socially, and economically—their birth outcomes improve.
Bridging the Gap: The Role of Policy and Advocacy
To truly address the Black maternal health crisis, we need more than just medical interventions—we need policy change and systemic accountability.
📌 The Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act aims to expand healthcare access, fund community-based programs, and address social determinants of health.
📌 Medicaid expansions in several states now cover postpartum care for a full year instead of the standard six weeks.
📌 The increased recognition of doulas and midwives is helping to reshape maternal healthcare by offering alternative, culturally attuned birth support.
But policy alone isn’t enough—we need continued advocacy to ensure that Black women’s lives are prioritized in every hospital, clinic, and birthing center.
Dr. McLemore’s research calls for healthcare providers, policymakers, and communities to work together to dismantle the racism embedded in maternal healthcare and create lasting change.
What Can We Do to Support Black Maternal Health?
Black maternal health is a human rights issue. Ensuring that Black women receive safe, respectful, and equitable maternity care benefits everyone.
Here’s how we can all support the fight for birth justice:
💜 Listen to Black women. Believe their experiences and advocate for their care.
💜 Support Black midwives and doulas. They play a crucial role in improving birth outcomes.
💜 Push for policy change. Advocate for better maternal healthcare protections and expanded access to care.
💜 Educate healthcare professionals. Challenge implicit bias and demand culturally competent care.
The future of Black maternal health depends on all of us—patients, doctors, advocates, and allies—working together to build a system where Black women no longer have to fight to survive childbirth.
Join the Movement
Black maternal health matters, and the fight for birth justice is far from over.
📖 Want to learn more about the Black women shaping reproductive health today?
Read: Honoring the Legacy, Empowering the Future: Black Women’s Contributions to Reproductive Health
💜 Join the Health In Her HUE Community! Find culturally competent doctors, share your experiences, and connect with other Black women advocating for our health.
