As part of Women’s History Month, a forum in Charlotte Tuesday aimed to bring awareness to the alarming stats tied to Black maternal health.
Community members gathered in the Optimist Park neighborhood to watch a short video that highlighted the challenges Black women face during childbirth. Danette McLaurin Glass, who is behind The Center for Family and Community Wellness, was one of the speakers. Glass highlighted why the statistics are alarming for Black women regarding childbirth.
“Some medical providers do not know and do not believe that when a Black woman is indicating that she's having an issue, she's dismissed,” Glass said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women are three times more likely to die during pregnancy than their white counterparts, even though more than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable. Danya Thomas is a mother of four and someone who came close to being part of the alarming statistics.
“Two of my pregnancies were very traumatic. My first one, I was in labor over 13 hours and was very close to death, both me and my child, so I had to have an emergency C-section," Thomas said. "And then thereafter, my second birth, which was about 22 months after that, I kind of had the same thing.”
Tuesday's forum, "Why are Black Women Dying in Childbirth?" also featured Rep. Alma Adams. Adams helped found the Black Maternal Health Caucus, which aims to improve maternal health outcomes and disparities.
"Our moms can't wait. Our babies can't wait either," Adams said. "This is preventable, and if it's preventable, there's something that we can do about it ... we can't just talk about a problem."
Tuesday's forum was part of Sarah Stevenson's weekly forum that aims to highlight important community issues.
