‘Birthing while Black’ is an American crisis. Communities demand justice

In August of 2021, Denise Williams was rushed to Queens Hospital Center in New York City. Williams, a 29-year-old Black woman, had recently given birth and needed treatment for acute postpartum depression. Her family had hoped her stay would be brief, so she could return to be with her newborn, Adalee, and her 3-year-old daughter Avyanna. But two days later, Williams’ mother received a devastating and shocking phone call: Her daughter had died.

Williams’ family was left wondering what exactly had happened. Tragically, this story is just one glimpse into a much broader crisis facing Black mothers and birthing people in the U.S. Black Americans are three times more likely to die giving birth than their white peers. In this episode of “Color Code,” we take a look at America’s Black maternal mortality crisis.  

In this episode, we hear from Williams’ family including her sister, Belinda Staley, and her aunt, Charlene Magee, who demand to know more about the death of their dear “Niecy.” We also hear from Katy Cecen, a reproductive justice activist who helped support the family in their search for answers; Shawnee Benton Gibson and Omari Maynard, who lost their loved one, Shamony Gibson, following the birth of her second child; and Rachel Hardeman, a reproductive health equity researcher at the University of Minnesota. 

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A transcript of this episode is available here. 

To read more on some of the topics discussed in the episode:

• A young Black mother died during treatment for postpartum depression. Her family demands answers. The City and The Fuller Project
• Take a look at the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021. Congress.gov.
• Why America’s Black mothers and babies are in a life-or-death crisis. New York Times Magazine 
• Watch the “Aftershock” documentary, which features the stories of Shawnee Benton Gibson and Omari Maynard. 
• Serena Williams’ account of a life-threatening emergency after giving birth to her daughter. Elle.

Check out some of STAT’s coverage on the topic, including stories from Nick: 

• In Q&A, Vice President Harris calls for urgent action on the Black maternal health crisis
• A win for Black maternal health advocates, as Congress moves to set up new VA program
• Opinion: How the CDC and others are failing Black women during childbirth
• STAT x The 19th Represents: Gender and Health Outcomes. 
• ‘Who is going to protect me?’: Ratings app aims to remove bias from the birthing experiences of Black and brown mothers

Find out more about Hardeman in this New York Times profile. 

And here’s a helpful primer from the CDC: Working Together to Reduce Black Maternal Mortality.

This podcast was made possible with support from the Commonwealth Fund.