Advocates: Calif.’s Maternal Health Blueprint Ignores Systemic Racism, Community Solutions

McKenzie Jackson | California Black MediaBlack mothers in California experience a maternal mortality rate that is three times above the average in the state.The California Coalition for Black Birth Justice Co-Founder and Executive Director Dana Sherrod said although Black women have higher rates of chronic conditions going into pregnancy, the root cause of their high maternal mortality rate is racism.“When all things are equal when we look at protective factors — education level, healthy weight, marital status — they aren’t as protective for Black women,” she explained.“We see Black women without pre-existing conditions, who have protective factors and are still fairing worse — having worse birthing outcomes, added Sherrod. “Racism is really what is undergirding this crisis and it’s been prevalent and evident for centuries.”To reduce the maternal mortality rate for all women in the state, particularly Black women, California Surgeon General Dr. Diana E. Ramos unveiled the California Maternal Health Blueprint and announced the Strong Start & Beyond movement in September.The 20-page blueprint serves as a strategic framework for improving reproductive and maternal health by cutting the maternal mortality in the state by 50% by December 2026. The blueprint also calls for reproductive-aged individuals to understand the health risks...