Black Maternal Health Week
Claire Farrington, Women4Change Indiana Intern
Today, the International Day for Maternal Health and Rights, also signifies the beginning of Black Maternal Health Week (BMHW), which runs April 11-17. It is no coincidence that April is also National Minority Health Month. In the United States, Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women (CDC, 2024). More specifically, in Indiana, in 2020, the maternal mortality rate for Black women (208 per 100,000 live births) was almost 2 times the amount for white women (108 per 100,000 live births) (Indiana University Public Policy Institute, 2022).
Founded and led by Black Mamas Matter Alliance, BMHW is a week-long campaign “to build awareness, activism, and community-building to amplify the voices, perspectives and lived experiences of Black Mamas and birthing people” (Black Mamas Matter Alliance, 2024). This year’s theme is “Our Bodies STILL Belong to Us: Reproductive Justice NOW!”. In Indiana, restrictive abortions are likely to continue to widen the gap of adverse maternal and birth outcomes. Like Black Mamas Matter Alliance, we believe the time is NOW to demand policy change and improve access to maternal and reproductive healthcare for Black Hoosier Mamas.
Here are some resources for Black Mamas in Indiana:
To find out more about Black Maternal Health Week click here.