Guest Column: Stakes of election could not be higher for Black women in Nevada

Shutterstock By Daniele Monroe-Moreno Sunday, April 21, 2024 | 2 a.m. View more of the Sun’s opinion section This past week was Black Maternal Health Week, a time to highlight the importance of Black maternal health. We are in a maternal health crisis in this country and in Nevada. Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women in America. And here in Nevada, the maternal mortality rate is four times higher for Black women than our white counterparts. Nevada’s first-of-its-kind majority-women Legislature has been leading on this issue, and thanks to my legislative sisters in service and the work of our Democratic leaders at the state level, we’ve made real progress. In 2019, the Legislature voted to establish a maternal mortality review committee, which is helping us address the divide in health outcomes in rural and underserved communities, as well as communities of color. Lawmakers have continued to fight for legislation that establishes freestanding birthing centers and expands access to doula services that will address the disproportionately negative outcomes that Black women face. But there is so much work to be done at the federal level. That’s why, as Black mothers and as...