Screenings of the movie “Birthing Justice” are part of the continuing Black Maternal Health Week, which is celebrated April 11-17.
The film, which aired this week on PBS, examines the structures and systems that determine the mortality of Black women and their babies.
It features the landmark work in St, Louis by Okunsola M. Amadou, founder of Jamaa Birth Village, and its resolute midwives. Also profiled is Missouri’s Parents as Teachers, its doulas, and the experiences of advocates and women from throughout the nation.
The movie illuminates the causes of Black maternal health risks, racial bias and structural barriers to healthcare. It also examines the 1910 Flexner Report, which codified medical standards and led to closure of many medical schools at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The impact of the repudiated report still exists.
A screening of “Birthing Justice” and discussion hosted by Jamaa will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday April 15 at Washington University, Hillman Hall on the Danforth Campus, 1 Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63105, Room 70. Lunch and refreshments will be provided.
To learn more, go to www.birthingjustice.com or www.jamaabirthvillage.org
An evening screening and panel discussion will begin at 6 p.m. Friday April 14 at St. Mary’s Hospital Kohler Auditorium, 6420 Clayton Road.
Panelists include:
Terry Plain, M.A., Senior Strategist, Missouri Foundation for Health, has over 20 years of knowledge in philanthropic grantmaking, public health, and community collaboration. Plain leads multi-year initiatives focused on maternal and child health.
Dr. Jade James-Halbert, MD, MPH, a Board-Certified Obstetrician/gynecologist, and the chair of the SSM Health DePaul Hospital Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
AJ Bostic, a licensed therapist specializing in Women’s Reproductive and Perinatal Mental Health in private practice. She is a Certified Postpartum& Infant Care Doula.
Dr. Ayooluwa Kerrigan, a Nigerian born American OB/GYN Resident at St. Louis University. She grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, and attended the University of Missouri-Columbia, where she studied as a premedical student and competed as a Track and Field athlete.
Ta’Mare Banks, MSN, RN, who serves as women’s services program manager at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital told KSDK’s Kay Quinn, “It scares me that I’m at risk for passing away just because I’m an African-American woman.”
“There is a lot of racism in medical care towards Black women, and I feel that a lot of Black women are not heard by their physicians,” she said.
“And then, when they have the baby, they are saying, ‘this is wrong, this is wrong, this is wrong,’ and they are being overlooked and not listened to. Then something happens and they pass. And it could have all been prevented if there was more time taken to really listen and advocate for that patient.”
Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women. Multiple factors contribute to these disparities, such as variation in quality healthcare, underlying chronic conditions, structural racism, and implicit bias.
Social determinants of health prevent many people from racial and ethnic minority groups from having fair opportunities for economic, physical, and emotional health.
Biden administration backs effort
Vice President Kamala Harris convened a meeting this week with Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra and other Cabinet leaders to discuss the administration’s approach to reducing maternal mortality and morbidity.
On Monday, April 10, President Biden issued a proclamation to begin Black Maternal Health Week, saying it is “urgent that all act.”
“Black women in America are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women,” said Biden.
“This is on top of the fact that women in America are dying at a higher rate from pregnancy-related causes than in any other developed nation.”
Ending the crisis begins with understanding how institutional racism drives these high maternal mortality rates.
“When mothers do not have access to safe and stable housing before and after childbirth, they are at greater risk of falling ill,” Biden said.
“This week, as we continue our work to make pregnancy and childbirth safe, dignified, and joyful for all, let us remember that health care should be a right and not a privilege.”
