By Emma Quirk, Summer 2023 Power in Place Collaborator
Image by: Stephanie Rutt / Flickr
Following the tragic death of Olympic track and field star Tori Bowie on April 23, 2023, the conversation surrounding Black maternal mortality rates and lack of sufficient care for Black mothers has returned to mainstream attention.
Frentorish “Tori” Bowie grew up in Rankin County, Mississippi with her sister and grandmother. Bowie originally began her track career as a jumper but became a sprinter, winning bronze and silver Olympic medals in Rio where she was also part of the gold medal-winning 4x100 relay. Her teammate Allyson Felix described Bowie as “a bright light” and “very, very sweet.”
Bowie died at 32 due to seizures brought on by preeclampsia, “a high blood pressure disorder that can occur during pregnancy,” and respiratory distress. Felix also experienced preeclampsia during her pregnancy in 2018, and a third member of their winning 4x100 team Tianna Madison experienced life-threatening pregnancy complications. Other notable Black women like Beyoncé and Serena Williams have shared their near-death experiences while giving birth. Despite their fame, wealth, or health before pregnancy, Black women are suffering and dying from giving birth at way higher rates than other women. These few stories of celebrities and elite athletes are only the start of the problem.
Evidently, Black birthing people cannot trust that they will survive pregnancy. According to statistics from the CDC, the maternal mortality rate for non-Hispanic Black women was 44 percent in 2019. In comparison, the maternal mortality rate for non-Hispanic white women was 17.9 percent and 12.6 percent for Hispanic women. These statistics are not great, but even more horrifying is how much they have increased over just a couple of years. In 2021, the maternal mortality rate was 69.9 percent for non-Hispanic Black women, 26.6 percent for non-Hispanic white women, and 28 percent for Hispanic women, and these numbers are continuing to rise. These statistics are striking and drastic changes must be made.
There is some legislation working to combat this. Congresswoman Alma Adams (NC-12), Lauren Underwood (IL-14), and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) reintroduced the Momnibus Act on May 15, 2023. The Act includes 13 individual bills that cover issues such as investing in social determinants of health such as housing and nutrition, increasing funding for programs to improve maternal care for veterans, improving maternal health care and support for incarcerated mothers, promoting innovative payment models to incentivize high-quality maternity care and non-clinical support during and after pregnancy, and more.
Adams, who is also the Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus, said “The Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2023 addresses this urgent crisis that affects thousands of American parents every year. As many as 80% of maternal deaths are preventable with proper care and treatment. The Momnibus makes over $1 billion in historic investments in the health and care of moms. It is nothing short of a game-changer for Black mothers as well as every parent bringing a child into the world. Now more than ever, it is critical we pass the Momnibus and make sure no child grows up without a parent. As a Black mother and grandmother, take it from me: Black mamas can't wait!”
Beyond this bill, the CDC has put out some guidelines for healthcare providers, hospitals, and states to reduce Black maternal mortality. For providers and hospitals, this means addressing unconscious bias, giving patients more information, standardizing care, and more. For states and communities, this means addressing social factors that heed maternal care such as unstable housing, food insecurity, and racial inequality.
What it comes down to is that the United States is having a maternal mortality crisis, and Black birthing people are at the greatest risk. These conditions must be improved. In the words of Felix, “I’m hopeful that things can get better. I’m hopeful that Tori, who stood on the podium at Rio, gold around her neck and sweetness in her soul, won’t die in vain.”
References
[1] Felix, Allyson. “Tori Bowie Can't Die In Vain.” Time, June 15, 2023, https://time.com/6287392/tori-bowie-allyson-felix-black-maternal-health/.
[2] Hoyert, Donna. “Maternal Mortality Rates in the United States, 2021.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, March 16, 2023, https://dx.doi.org/10.15620/cdc:124678.
[3] Kindelan, Katie. “US Olympians call for change after death of teammate due to childbirth complications.” ABC News, June 15, 2023, https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Wellness/us-olympians-call-change-after-death-teammate-due/story?id=100106755.
[4] Office of Health Equity. “Working Together to Reduce Black Maternal Mortality.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, April 3, 2023, https://www.cdc.gov/healthequity/features/maternal-mortality/index.html.
[5] U.S. House of Representatives. “In Honor of Mother’s Day, Adams, Booker, Underwood Reintroduce the Momnibus to End America’s Maternal Health Crisis.” May 15, 2023, https://adams.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/honor-mothers-day-adams-booker-underwood-reintroduce-momnibus-end.
Emma Quirk is a rising sophomore at Mount Holyoke College and is double majoring in English and Critical Social Thought. On campus, Emma is a staff writer and photos editor for Mount Holyoke News and works as a student fellow in the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.