The Importance of Black Maternal Health

Earlier this month, we attended the Black Maternal Health Week 2025 Congressional Briefing by the Black Maternal Health Federal Policy Collective and The Century Foundation. As soon as we walked in the room, we felt a sense of camaraderie and hope as we saw so many others passionate about maternal health. While each attendee at the event worked for different organizations, meeting so many people in-person whom we had previously only met virtually through Zoom coalition calls brought a new sense of motivation to the work. After some time networking, we heard introductory remarks from Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07), Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14), and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), all of whom led the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act in the 118^th Congress. Next, we heard from a panel of experts in the maternal health field:  Elizabeth Dawes, the Director of Maternal and Reproductive Health and a Senior Fellow at The Century Foundation, Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, a Senior Fellow at The Century Foundation and former Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Tanay Lynn Harris, the Director and Co-Founder of The Bloom Collective and a Facilitator of Maryland Black Perinatal Health and Reproductive Justice Policy Collective, and Anais Washington, the Executive Director and Founder of Concentric Community Care. 

One of the most inspiring aspects of the briefing was hearing from members of Congress. The key takeaways from this conversation included the need to expand Medicaid, improve insurance coverage, and continue collecting data to track and better understand maternal health outcomes. Rep. Pressley discussed how it is not only important to bond over traumatic birth experiences, but to also share stories to affirm the dream of quality maternal health care. Federal policies, including the Black Maternal Health Momnibus, can decide who lives, who dies, who survives, and who thrives. It is crucial to pass legislation that supports maternal health by expanding Medicaid coverage, improving health insurance coverage, and expanding access to high-quality maternal care. Senator Booker, after his 25-hour filibuster on the Senate floor, shared how we as citizens must recognize all the progress and success that has been made towards advancements to quality health care. He mentioned that $7.09 is returned every single time we invest in black maternal health.  Finally, Rep. Underwood shared that we need to highlight our work towards improving maternal health care, make sure we do not rely on Congress to fix everything alone, and that the Momnibus needs to be refined to meet this moment.

One way constituents can get involved is through sharing personal stories. Everyone must take part in the work to expand and protect maternal health programs and services. We must elevate local organizations doing this work and hold our communities accountable which includes taking action and volunteering for or funding the organizations you believe in.

Medicaid is crucial when it comes to Black Maternal Health. It finances approximately 41 percent of all births in the United States, including a disproportionate number of births to women of color and women living in rural areas. More than 80 percent of OB-GYNs providing prenatal and postpartum care outside of hospitals serve patients who are partially or mostly covered by Medicaid. The maternal mortality rate for Black women is more than double that of women of other races and ethnicities. Similarly, the percentage of Black and Latina women with delayed or no prenatal care continues to be about twice that of white women. Health insurance must be lifelong as maternal mortality can occur not just during birth, but also two, three, even six months after birth. The leading cause of maternal death in the United States is mental health, with cardiovascular conditions, infection, and hemorrhage also being leading causes. According to the CDC, 80 percent of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable. Our goal must be to achieve universal coverage and guarantee access to health care for everyone, regardless of their race, income, immigration status, state of residence, or other factors. 

A reoccurring theme throughout the panel was the importance of showing up and supporting each other. Wins must be evaluated through an equity lens, interrogating whether policy victories benefit all communities fairly. Data collection is crucial for informing impactful policy at both the federal and state levels.

Protecting and expanding maternal health is a Jewish value. In Judaism, the principle of pikuach nefesh, preserving life, overrides virtually any other religious rule. Our religious canon is full of biblical and rabbinic texts emphasizing the importance of protecting the life of pregnant individuals. Furthermore, providing health care is not just an obligation of the doctor, but for society as well. It is for this reason that Maimonides listed health care first on his list of the ten most important communal services a city must offer its residents if the city is to be found worthy for a great scholar to live there (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot De’ot IV:23).

As we celebrate/conclude Black Maternal Health Week, urge Congress to support the Black Maternal Health Momnibus when it is reintroduced in the 119^th Congress. To learn more about Black maternal health, read the State of Maternal Health 2025 report.