The State of Black Maternal Health

Apr
5:00pm
The State of Black Maternal Health

By Capital B
Join Capital B during Black Maternal Health Week to discuss some of the most important topics related to maternal and reproductive health disparities.
1 p.m. ET Welcome:
Akoto Ofori-Atta, chief audience officer and co-founder, Capital B
1:05 p.m. ET | Panel | The State of Black Maternal Health
Statistics show pregnancy is dangerous in America, especially for Black people. Research reveals the maternal death rate for Black women is nearly three times the rate for white women — and the statistics are not improving. Join Capital B for an urgent conversation on serious gaps in care and the state of Black maternal health.
Stacey Stewart, March of Dimes president and CEO
U.S. Rep. Alma Adams, D-N.C., Black Maternal Health Caucus
Tonya Lewis Lee, producer and director of  Aftershock
1:45 p.m. ET | Panel | Pregnant and Undocumented
Access to prenatal care for undocumented immigrants varies by state, but many in need of care find themselves ineligible for public insurance. We’ll talk to experts in the field who are trying to shine a light on the stories of undocumented, Black communities.
Dr. Rachel Fabi, assistant professor in the Center for Bioethics and Humanities at SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse
Sydelle O’Brien, associate at Black Alliance for Just Immigration
2:20 p.m. ET | Panel | Fighting Racial Disparities in Postpartum Care
Structural racism in health care often leaves women without adequate or equitable care during one of the most important and vulnerable times in their lives. Racial disparities in maternal mortality largely underscore the need to address birth equity. Join Capital B for a conversation with healthcare experts and advocates on the discrepancies in postpartum care.
Jennie Joseph, certified professional midwife and founder and president of Commonsense Childbirth
Kathryn Hall-Trujillo, founder of Birthing Project USA; adjunct faculty, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
Dr. Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha, Julia A. Okoro Professor of Black Maternal Health; founder and director, MOTHER Lab; assistant dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion with the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine
2:55 p.m. ET | One-on-One | Black Choice
New state laws could impose restrictions on women’s reproductive rights from contraception to abortion. In states like Georgia, Texas and Mississippi, health care systems have been failing Black women for years. Join Capital B for a conversation on the politicization of reproductive health and its outsized impact on Black women.
Alexis McGill Johnson, president and CEO, Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
3:20 p.m. ET | Panel |  Solutions To Surviving Black Pregnancy
In light of the strikingly poor maternal health outcomes faced by Black women, join Capital B for a conversation about existing and potential solutions to increase birth and health care equity in the U.S.
Sona Smith – program officer, Birth Justice, Ms. Foundation for Women
Dr. Fleda Mask Jackson, president and CEO, MAJAICA LLC; leader and creator of Save 100 Babies
3:50 p.m. ET | Panel | The Joys of Black Parenthood
In the face of scary statistics about health outcomes and continued structural racism, Capital B speaks with Black mothers  finding joy and meaning during their pregnancies and throughout motherhood.
Helena Andrews, author of “The Mamas: What I Learned About Kids, Class, And Race From Moms Not Like Me”
Leah Wright Rigueur, historian, author, and adjunct associate professor at Brandeis University
4:20 p.m. ET Conclusion
Akoto Ofori-Atta, chief audience officer and co-founder, Capital B
hosted by
Capital B