Racial Justice by Molly Hill https://padlet.com/hillmoll/lcj9mmqinwzd7z17 Focus: Black Maternal Mortality en-us 2022-10-10 02:07:17 UTC 2024-03-28 23:10:52 UTC hello@padlet.com My Motivation hillmoll https://padlet.com/hillmoll/lcj9mmqinwzd7z17/wish/2332912296 Although one does not need a personal connection to an issue to care about it, I do. My childhood best friend is a black woman beginning to think of growing her family. She has expressed her fear of giving birth in America. I am pregnant at the moment, and I am already scared of giving birth in a hospital here, so I can't imagine the fear that she has. In addition, I am expecting a Black child, which makes me fearful for the discrimination that they may experience.]]> 2022-10-10 02:15:11 UTC https://padlet.com/hillmoll/lcj9mmqinwzd7z17/wish/2332912296 Black Birth in America Over the Ages hillmoll https://padlet.com/hillmoll/lcj9mmqinwzd7z17/wish/2332912477 When Africans were brought to America for slavery, many were already trained midwives who practiced, referred to as midwife, granny-midwife, and granny. They continued to train others, and were the main birthing professionals used for years.

However, in the 1800s, many states outlawed lay midwives, until by the mid-1900s, there were none left. However, in the 1960s and 1970s, there was an uptick in midwifery, which has been steadily increasing until now (Terreri, 2019).

Above is a film, All my Babies, which explains granny-midwives and Black birth over the years.]]> 2022-10-10 02:15:24 UTC https://padlet.com/hillmoll/lcj9mmqinwzd7z17/wish/2332912477 Pregnant Women Can: hillmoll https://padlet.com/hillmoll/lcj9mmqinwzd7z17/wish/2339588139 Educate themselves about pregnancy and childbirth, especially warning signs to watch out for. They can seek immediate care, document and share medical history at each medical appointment for up to a year post-delivery, and go to every appointment ("Working Together", 2022).]]> 2022-10-14 00:49:53 UTC https://padlet.com/hillmoll/lcj9mmqinwzd7z17/wish/2339588139 Organizations hillmoll https://padlet.com/hillmoll/lcj9mmqinwzd7z17/wish/2339589045 Some organizations advocating for Black midwives include: National Black Midwives Alliance, National Association to Advance Black Birth, Sista Midwife Productions, and Black Mamas Matter Alliance (Terreri, 2019).

In addition, there is The National Birth Equity Collaborative (NBEC), which focuses on changing systems that contribute to the maternal deaths. There is also The Black Maternal Health Caucus (BHMC), which seeks to improve health outcomes for Black women and advocates for them nationally (Bahadur, 2019).
]]> 2022-10-14 00:50:47 UTC https://padlet.com/hillmoll/lcj9mmqinwzd7z17/wish/2339589045 Why? hillmoll https://padlet.com/hillmoll/lcj9mmqinwzd7z17/wish/2339601799 A variation in quality healthcare, already-established chronic health conditions, structural racism, and implicit bias in medical professionals ("Working Together," 2022). A medical professional may have an unconscious bias against Black women, thereby ignoring and disbelieving her pleas for medical attention and dismissing her needs, which could allow her to die (Terreri, 2019). 

This sort of societal and systemic racism can lead to physiological stress, which can lead to high blood pressure, which is extremely dangerous in pregnancy and childbirth (Terreri, 2019). Black women are also at a higher risk of having a pre-existing cardiovascular condition and to develop a cardiovascular condition after pregnancy (Lister et al., 2019).

Overall, there are not definitive answers, but there is a suspicion that this already-established institutional racism is at fault. In addition, a Black woman's increased likelihood to suffer from certain health conditions and decreased likelihood to have quality prenatal care could be adding to the rate (Chuck, 2020).]]> 2022-10-14 01:02:51 UTC https://padlet.com/hillmoll/lcj9mmqinwzd7z17/wish/2339601799 References Used on This "Racial Justice" Padlet hillmoll https://padlet.com/hillmoll/lcj9mmqinwzd7z17/wish/2339603120 2022-10-14 01:04:04 UTC https://padlet.com/hillmoll/lcj9mmqinwzd7z17/wish/2339603120 Black Maternal Mortality hillmoll https://padlet.com/hillmoll/lcj9mmqinwzd7z17/wish/2342361213 Above is a video detailing black maternal mortality and the reasons why the rate is higher than white maternal mortality. ]]> 2022-10-17 01:59:14 UTC https://padlet.com/hillmoll/lcj9mmqinwzd7z17/wish/2342361213 The Timeline of Black Oppression in America hillmoll https://padlet.com/hillmoll/lcj9mmqinwzd7z17/wish/2342378916 Slavery came to North America in 1619, bringing a cheap labor source to America. New enslaved people were outlawed in 1808, but the population tripled by 1860, with half living in the South, where states produced cotton. 

The Civil War began in spring of 1861, with 11 southern states creating the Confederate States of America, which were pro-slavery. The Confederate states fought against the Union, which was anti-slavery. This anti-slavery view was held by President Abraham Lincoln, who freed slaves in the rebel states, although slaves in border states were not free. The Union succeeded, and 4 million slaves were freed in the South.

Southern states then began to enact "Jim Crow" laws, which were used to segregate Black and White students in schools, hotels, restaurants, etc. However, by the 1950s, the tide started to change (History.com Editors, 2022).]]> 2022-10-17 02:13:33 UTC https://padlet.com/hillmoll/lcj9mmqinwzd7z17/wish/2342378916 Fighting Back hillmoll https://padlet.com/hillmoll/lcj9mmqinwzd7z17/wish/2344017660 Although people did escape slavery through the Underground Railroad and revolt against their captors throughout the 1800s, the tide did not truly begin to turn towards equality until the 1950s. Slavery may have been outlawed legally. However, with the low wages and segregation that was forced on these people, slavery continued in a way.

The NAACP was formed in 1909, which fought against segregation, and fought for equal education and opportunity. The World Wars saw a decrease in the fight for equality, with Black men fighting for the country that treated them like second-class citizens. 

On May 17, 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the Brown v. Board of Education case that it was a violation of the U.S. Constitution to racially segregate schools. There then began to be a domino effect, with the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Loving v. Virginia Ruling, among other significant acts.

This eventually led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which "gave the federal government more power to protect citizens against discrimination on the basis of race, religion, sex or national origin", and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which worked to "overcome the legal barriers that still existed at the state and local levels preventing Black citizens from exercising the right to vote". There was also the Fair Housing Act and Affirmative Action (History.com Editors, 2022). ]]> 2022-10-17 21:44:03 UTC https://padlet.com/hillmoll/lcj9mmqinwzd7z17/wish/2344017660 Social Workers Can: hillmoll https://padlet.com/hillmoll/lcj9mmqinwzd7z17/wish/2344029678 Recognize unconscious bias, address all patient concerns, help patients maintain chronic conditions, and educate patients as much as possible, with respect ("Working Together", 2022). ]]> 2022-10-17 22:00:04 UTC https://padlet.com/hillmoll/lcj9mmqinwzd7z17/wish/2344029678 Everybody can: hillmoll https://padlet.com/hillmoll/lcj9mmqinwzd7z17/wish/2344058175 Spread the word about the higher maternal mortality rates of Black women, donate to organizations supporting Black women and Black midwives, and support midwifery schools/programs that support midwives of color (Terreri, 2019). 

Black women and other women of color should become midwives if interested, by visiting the Midwives Alliance of North America website. There are scholarships for women of color seeking to be birth workers. These can be found at The Grand Challenge, Mercy in Action, and the American College of Nurse-Midwives (Terreri, 2019).]]> 2022-10-17 22:38:53 UTC https://padlet.com/hillmoll/lcj9mmqinwzd7z17/wish/2344058175 Technology hillmoll https://padlet.com/hillmoll/lcj9mmqinwzd7z17/wish/2344066828 Above is a video detailing an app that is helping Black women with determining whether a hospital will be beneficial or harmful towards them.]]> 2022-10-17 22:51:07 UTC https://padlet.com/hillmoll/lcj9mmqinwzd7z17/wish/2344066828 Rates hillmoll https://padlet.com/hillmoll/lcj9mmqinwzd7z17/wish/2344203056 Between 2011 and 2014, there were 40 deaths out of 100,000 births for black women. This is compared to 17.8 for women of other races, and 12.4 for white women. Maternal mortality rates began to increase in 1990, with the CDC now saying that approximately 700-900 pregnant and new mothers die each year, with about half being preventable. A disproportionate amount of these mothers are Black women (Roeder, 2019). 

In conclusion, Black infants are 2x more likely to die than white infants, while black mothers are 3-4x more likely to die due to pregnancy-related causes than white mothers ("Why are black mothers," 2018). ]]> 2022-10-18 01:05:15 UTC https://padlet.com/hillmoll/lcj9mmqinwzd7z17/wish/2344203056 Introduction hillmoll https://padlet.com/hillmoll/lcj9mmqinwzd7z17/wish/2344223646 Black women and infants are perishing at higher rates than other races. This is rooted in racism, which has been a basis of U.S. society. Although there are many different factors to this issue, there are many different solutions being researched. 

However, this is not the only issue facing the Black community. There has been systematic oppression and discrimination against Black people in America, ever since they were brought to America to serve White colonists against their will.]]> 2022-10-18 01:19:32 UTC https://padlet.com/hillmoll/lcj9mmqinwzd7z17/wish/2344223646 Context hillmoll https://padlet.com/hillmoll/lcj9mmqinwzd7z17/wish/2344242924 In 2018, 37.1 deaths per 100,000 live births were Black women, compared to 14.7 White women, and 11.8 Hispanic women. There are no clear answers, but there is a suspicion that institutional racism, and a Black woman's increased likelihood to suffer from certain health conditions and decreased likelihood to have quality prenatal care, are at fault (Chuck, 2020).

Black women are at a 4x higher risk to die due to pregnancy-related causes, which makes it a public health crisis (Lister et al., 2019).]]> 2022-10-18 01:33:30 UTC https://padlet.com/hillmoll/lcj9mmqinwzd7z17/wish/2344242924 Racial Justice Presentation hillmoll https://padlet.com/hillmoll/lcj9mmqinwzd7z17/wish/2385207437 Thank you so much for looking at my Padlet and watching my presentation! ]]> 2022-11-15 17:15:35 UTC https://padlet.com/hillmoll/lcj9mmqinwzd7z17/wish/2385207437