By Kellie Todd Griffin, Special to California Black Media Partners

If recent proposals in Congress to cut funding for federal social programs succeed, the downstream effects will not be abstract or distant.

They will be immediate and blunt — and felt in every clinic, every hospital, and most homes where Black women are struggling to maintain our health, care for her children, and stay afloat. In California, where Black women already navigate a terrain of deep systemic inequities, these cuts would be catastrophic.

As a lifelong advocate for Black women in California — through my research and lived experience – I’ve seen firsthand the entrenched medical and social disparities that leave too many Black women struggling to live healthy, fulfilling lives.

Across the spectrum of care — from mental, maternal, and perinatal health to chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and uterine fibroids — Black women in California continue to bear a disproportionate burden.

Implicit bias in maternity care, for example, continues to be a challenge. It is a documented contributor to the fact that, in California, Black women die from pregnancy-related causes at three to four times the rate of White women.

Now, federal proposals on the table to slash funding for the very programs Black women rely on most: Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California) SNAP/CalFresh, WIC, and federal housing and income supports. As reported in the California Budget and Policy Equity on the Line report, about one in three Black women and children in California currently depend on Medi-Cal. If federal cuts were to force reductions in eligibility, benefits, or provider reimbursements, many Black women would lose access to primary care, chronic disease management, reproductive care, mental health and substance-use treatment, cancer screenings, and prenatal/postnatal services.

In a state already grappling with stark racial health disparities, removing coverage is not just harmful — it magnifies injustice. Black women in California face higher rates of poor health overall, lower life expectancy, and worse prenatal care statistics.  When the safety net frays, they will be forced into impossible trade-offs: skip medications, delay care, or incur medical debt.

Nutrition assistance programs, which many Black women rely on to keep their families healthy and out of the hospital, are similarly endangered. Nearly half of Black women in California receive WIC, and 47% percent use CalFresh. Cuts or cost-shifts in those programs would worsen food insecurity, especially during pregnancy and postpartum. Malnutrition or diet instability can lead to adverse birth outcomes, weakened immunity, and worse recovery from medical interventions.

Compounding the harm is the assault on social determinants of health. The Equity on the Line analysis shows that housing assistance, income support, and childcare subsidies are already stretched thin. Any rollback will accelerate housing instability, homelessness risk, and family stress — all of which manifest in worse health outcomes: higher hypertension, depression, chronic illness, and reduced ability to adhere to medical regimens.

California has taken important steps to protect Black women’s health. One good example is Assembly Bill, AB 2319, authored by Assemblymember Lori D. Wilson (D-Suisun City). That law strengthens the Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act by expanding and enforcing implicit bias training for providers in perinatal settings, and requiring reporting and penalties for noncompliance.

The state is also taking legal and policy action to mitigate the impact of cuts to SNAP/CalFresh food stamp benefits – like mobilizing $80 million in state funds to support food banks. It is also taking action to shore up against federal cuts to Medi-Cal.

In our communities, organizations like California Black Women’s Health Project and Black Women for Wellness are already doing the groundwork — advocating for culturally centered care, education, and infrastructure to mitigate harm.

As Californians, we must all roll up our sleeves and amplify and bolster their efforts. These organizations serve as our voice.  They are our watchdogs, too, documenting where bias persists, where systems fail, and where state enforcement is weak.

The stakes are too high for complacency. As we strategize to keep Black women healthy, we must also document and share our stories with others — every death, every untreated illness, every delayed pregnancy.

Let us be resolute, organized, hopeful, and persistent. California can be a model of how a state defends Black women’s health amid significant challenges, presenting a full vision to America, and the world, of how we can make health justice a reality and make California healthier for all our communities.

About the Author

Kellie Todd Griffin, President and CEO of the California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute.  With a deep commitment to equity and justice, she champions initiatives that amplify the voices and influence of Black women across California. Known for her strategic insight and passion for community empowerment, Kellie is a driving force in fostering systemic change and collective progress.

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