#NNPA BlackPress

The National Disgrace of Maternal Mortality

NNPA NEWSWIRE — “The United States bears the worrying distinction as “deadliest nation” in the industrialized or “developed world” to be pregnant,” said Dr. Michele Bratcher Goodwin in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in June 2023. “Nationwide, as noted by Justice Breyer, “childbirth is 14 times more likely than abortion to result in death.”
The post The National Disgrace of Maternal Mortality first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 year ago

May 31, 2023

Oakland Post

By Barrington M. Salmon | NNPA Newswire

The National Center for Health Statistics released data several months ago showing that maternal deaths in the United States spiraled to the highest rate in almost nearly 60 years, data showed, worsening a health trend that has cemented America as one of the most dangerous industrialized countries for a woman to give birth.

“The United States bears the worrying distinction as “deadliest nation” in the industrialized or “developed world” to be pregnant,” said Dr. Michele Bratcher Goodwin in testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in June 2023. “Nationwide, as noted by Justice Breyer, “childbirth is 14 times more likely than abortion to result in death.” As reported by Nina Martin and Renee Montagne, “[m]ore American women are dying of pregnancy-related complications than any other developed country.” In fact, “[o]nly in the U.S. has the rate of women who die been rising.”

In fact, said Bratcher, an author, advocate and Abraham Pinanski, Visiting Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, “a review of data collected by the United States Central Intelligence Agency provides evidence that it is safer to be pregnant and give birth in Iran, Tajikistan, and Bahrain than in the United States … In Mississippi, a woman is 118 times more likely to die by carrying a pregnancy to term than by having an abortion. According to the Mississippi Maternal Mortality Report, Black women accounted for “nearly 80% of pregnancy-related cardiac deaths” in that state.”

For Black women, the dangers they face while pregnant are dire. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2021, the maternal mortality rates for Black women were significantly higher than the rates for White and Hispanic women. Stats show that Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women in America.

Suzanne Wertman, state government affairs consultant with the American College of Nurse Midwives, said she’s not at all surprised at the troubling increase in the rate and numbers but said there’s one aspect that really leaves her aghast.

“What surprises me is that there’s not enough political will and that this is not at a tipping point,” said Wertman, a vocal advocate for midwifery, reproductive health and a woman’s right to control her bodily autonomy. “The conversation still centers around older mothers and obesity. They always focus on the woman and not the system. What’s interesting to me as a midwife is that the mainstream media talks to physicians, not midwives.”

Any attempt to substantially reduce maternal mortality generally, and Black maternal mortality in particular, has to confront and shatter the scourges of structural and institutional racism and sexism, Wertman said.

“We need to have universal pregnancy care,” said Wertman. “We need serious investment in maternal health, universal care and more midwives. What we have is ‘too little too late’ and ‘two much too soon.’”

Wertman – who has more than 20 years’ experience providing midwifery care to a range of people in public, private and non-profit spaces – said COVID-19 hurdled everyone into crisis mode and added another layer of stress on an already stressful situation for organized medicine and organizations, hospitals and health groups. Other experts and observers note that COVID-19 exposed the structural inequities in the healthcare industry and other segments of the American economy.

Dr. Kevin Scott Smith, Department Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Alameda Health System, is engaged in the same battle Wertzman is from a different angle and place. He, like Wertzman, sees racism and race-based health disparities as key factors driving the Black maternal mortality crisis in the United States.

“It’s a bigger challenge than just COVID. COVID is a variable, and racism is a variable to COVID. There are some interrelated links between both,” said Smith. “What I will tell you is I am spending most of my time fighting obstetric racism. I am hopeful that these efforts will have some impacts. Rather than expecting outcomes, I am concerned about data.”

“Obstetric racism represents the cause for the racial disparities in Black maternal health. It has been declared by most medical bodies. It’s not one race driving these racial disparities. It’s more systemic for sure.”

Smith said he believes that if you remove all of the previously attributable causes for Black maternal mortality such as access to care, lack of education and poverty … you’re left with one root cause and that’s racism.

It’s tragic, it’s tragic,” said Smith, sighing deeply.

Often, when people look at numbers, it’s easy to forget that each data point represents a woman, flesh and blood, a human being. Kendra Davenport Cotton is the face behind those numbers, a woman and mother who but for the grace of God would have become a statistic.

“I’m talking as a person who has had scares,” said Cotton, chief executive officer for the New Georgia Project and New Georgia Project Action Fund. “I have children who are 21, 18 and 15. When they were younger, I had a pregnancy that was not viable. I went to my OB-GYN’s office and literally almost hemorrhaged to death. I started bleeding. It looked like a murder occurred.

Cotton said her doctor told her he couldn’t do a D&C.

“I was in Durham, North Carolina. I’m educated with an advanced degree. I had a blighted ovum. I was at eight weeks when I found out,” said Cotton, who said her children were 7, 4 and a year old when she experienced this health crisis. “I ended up having a medical abortion and a D&C. I wouldn’t have been able to do that under current circumstances. If I was in rural area, I’d be dead.”

Cotton said when the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last June, Georgia’s Republican lawmakers quickly reinstated the Peach State’s six-week abortion ban.

“Most women don’t even know they’re pregnant at six weeks. The 6-week ban has calcified things and is causing all types of health problems,” she said. “Women in similar circumstances now would have to go before a board which would convene to ensure appropriate safeguards for hospitals and doctors.”

“Women would be sent home with non-viable pregnancies.”

Cotton said priority choices, underfunding and disinvestment by Georgia’s elected officials are crippling women’s effort to have access to reproductive care.

“There’s underfunding here in Georgia. There are lots of rural hospital closures which are negatively affecting Black maternity health,” said Cotton, who served as the campaign manager for Teresa Tomlinson in her US Senate race and was founding executive director of Rep GA Institute, Inc. “It’s happening in places where schisms of haves and have-nots is particularly acute.”

Cotton said some people have to drive 70 to 100 miles to get to an OB-GYN. She said Georgia has been hit hard, citing the fact that Georgia government officials implemented Medicare after decade.

“This is top neglect of the governor and the legislature. Show me your budget, I’ll show you priorities,” she said. “Black women are underpaid and they’re living in areas under-represented and the government underfunds the basis infrastructure.”

These actions have been deeply challenging and perplexing for those people public officials purport to represent.

“We’re in a conundrum right now because public policy in Southern states is hard. There are systemic forces in place designed to oppress people in the margins,” said Cotton.

She said less than half of Georgia’s 159 counties has an OB-GYN, one of Atlanta’s two trauma hospitals have closed and grassroots organizations were not notified. She said residents and activists have been fighting back by taking to the streets but acknowledged that it’s been an uphill battle.

“You can treat healthcare like we treat retail. Throwing up urgent care will not do much. You’re playing with people’s lives,” Cotton said. “(What they’re doing) may be deliberate but regular folks and poor folks will and are suffering.”

Smith, who stood up a care modeling program called Beloved Births Black Centering, said in his role as chairman of midwifery, he doesn’t rely on magic.

“Actual measurements are moved to that end,” he said. “This particular model capitalizes on the centering of the prenatal care model, pre-birth weight, group prenatal care for and by Black people. We have Black midwives, doulas, caseworkers and Black physical fitness trainers. We provide wraparound care – a gold package of Black love.”

Smith serves on the advisory board of the African American Well Project, an organization led by Dr. Mike LeNoir whose goal is to create health equity in America’s healthcare ecosystem. He said he and his team were able to kick off Beloved Blacks Birthing Center during the COVID-19 global pandemic. He describes the program as a safety net providing care to Black, brown and other women.

“We’re seeing evidence of the program’s success. It is evidence-based care. It potentially could be the opt-out model while we address obstetric racism,” he said.

Wertzman said there are several solutions to this crisis.

“Policymakers understand that so many issues we face could be solved by investing in reproductive justice,” she said. “Women should be allowed to have babies if they want to.”

She said government officials, policymakers and others should also invest in midwifery by removing regulatory restrictions and other disincentives such as midwives being paid less for the same services.

“They need to reimburse equity – equal pay for equal work. It’s crazy how little is spent on births. Preventative consequences could be changed ensuring that people get care when and how they need it,” she said.

Wertzman said some other solutions are creating free-standing birth centers that offer pre-natal and natal care; integrating midwives more fully into the healthcare system to ensure a higher level of care; redistributing funds; and spending more money on those on the frontlines.”

The post The National Disgrace of Maternal Mortality first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

Black History Told in Bronze

Don't Miss

Remembering Tina: The Legendary “Queen of Rock ‘n Roll” Passes Away at 83

Oakland Post

Click to comment

#NNPA BlackPress

Reading and Moving: Great Ways to Help Children Grow

NNPA NEWSWIRE — In these formative years, your little one will learn to walk, learn how to grab and hold items, begin building their muscle strength, and more. Here are some ways to facilitate positive motor development at home:

Published

7 days ago

September 9, 2024

Oakland Post

Council for Professional Recognition

Before a child even steps into a classroom or childcare center, their first life lessons occur within the walls of their home. During their formative years, from birth to age five, children undergo significant cognitive, motor, and behavioral development. As their primary guides and first teachers, parents, and guardians play a pivotal role in fostering these crucial aspects of growth.

The Council for Professional Recognition, a nonprofit, is dedicated to supporting parents and families in navigating questions about childcare and education training. In keeping with its goal of meeting the growing need for qualified early childcare and education staff, the Council administers the Child Development Associate (CDA). The CDA program is designed to assess and credential early childhood education professionals. This work gives the Council great insights into child development.

Cognitive Development: Building the Foundation of Learning

Cognitive development lays the groundwork for a child’s ability to learn, think, reason, and solve problems.

Read Together: One of the most powerful tools for cognitive development is reading. It introduces children to language, expands their vocabulary, and sparks imagination. Make reading a daily ritual by choosing age-appropriate books that capture their interest.
Play Together: Play is a child’s entry to the physical, social, and affective worlds. It’s a critical and necessary tool in the positive cognitive development of young children and is directly linked to long-term academic success.
Dance and Sing Together: These types of activities help young children develop spatial awareness and lead to improved communication skills. As a bonus, it’s also helpful for improving gross motor skills.
Invite your Child to Help you in the Kitchen: It’s a fun activity to do together and helps establish a basic understanding of math and lifelong healthy eating practices.
Encourage Questions: As children find their voice, they also find their curiosity for the world around them; persuade them to ask questions and then patiently provide answers.

Motor Development: Mastering Movement Skills

Motor development involves the refinement of both gross and fine motor skills, which are essential for physical coordination and independence. In these formative years, your little one will learn to walk, learn how to grab and hold items, begin building their muscle strength, and more. Here are some ways to facilitate positive motor development at home:

Tummy Time: Starting from infancy, incorporate daily tummy time sessions to strengthen neck and upper body muscles, promoting eventual crawling and walking. You can elevate the tummy time experience by:
- Giving children lots of open-ended toys to explore like nesting bowls, a pail and shovel, building blocks, wooden animals, and people figures.
- Hanging artwork on the wall that appeals to infants, including bold colors, clear designs, and art from various cultures.
- Providing mobiles that children can move safely and observe shapes and colors.
Outdoor Play: Provide opportunities for outdoor play, whether it’s at a park, playground, or in a backyard. Activities such as running, jumping, climbing, and swinging enhance gross motor skills while allowing children to connect with nature. Also, try gardening together! Not only does gardening promote motor skill development, but it offers many other benefits for young children including stress management, cognitive and emotional development, sensory development, and increased interest in math, sciences, and healthy eating.
Fine Motor Activities: Fine motor skills relate to movement of the hands and upper body, as well as vision. Activities that encourage hand-eye coordination and fine motor skill development include:
- Drawing and coloring
- Doing puzzles, with size and piece amounts dependent on the age of the child
- Dropping items or threading age-appropriate beads on strings
- Stacking toys
- Shaking maracas
- Using age-appropriate, blunt scissors
- Playing with puppets or playdough

This is the type of knowledge that early childhood educators who’ve earned a Child Development Associate credential exhibit as they foster the social, emotional, physical, and cognitive growth of young children.

Supporting Early Childhood Educators

Recently, a decision in Delaware has helped early childhood professionals further their efforts to apply this type of knowledge. Delaware State University, Delaware Technical Community College, and Wilmington University have signed agreements to award 12 credits for current and incoming students who hold the Child Development Associate credential.

Delaware Governor John Carney said, “I applaud the Department of Education and our higher education partners for this agreement, which will support our early childhood educators. Research shows how important early childhood education is to a child’s future success. This new agreement will help individuals earn their degrees and more quickly get into classrooms to do the important work of teaching our youngest learners in Delaware.”

Council for Professional Recognition CEO Calvin E. Moore, Jr., said his organization is honored to be a part of this partnership.

“Delaware and the work of these institutions is a model that other states should look to. This initiative strengthens the early childhood education workforce by accelerating the graduation of more credentialed educators, addressing the critical need for qualified educators in early childhood education. We have already seen the impact the work of the Early Childhood Innovation Center has brought to the children of Delaware.”

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

#NNPA BlackPress

Student Loan Debt Drops $10 Billion Due to Biden Administration Forgiveness

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The Center for American Progress estimates the interest waiver provisions would deliver relief to roughly 6 million Black borrowers, or 23 percent of the estimated number of borrowers receiving relief, as well as 4 million Hispanic or Latino borrowers (16 percent) and 13.5 million white borrowers (53 percent).

Published

7 days ago

September 9, 2024

Charlene Crowell NNPA Newswire Columnist

New Education Department Rules hold hope for 30 million more borrowers

By Charlene Crowell, The Center for Responsible Lending

As consumers struggle to cope with mounting debt, a new economic report from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York includes an unprecedented glimmer of hope. Although debt for mortgages, credit cards, auto loans and more increased by billions of dollars in the second quarter of 2024, student loan debt decreased by $10 billion.

According to the New York Fed, borrowers ages 40-49 and ages 18-29 benefitted the most from the reduction in student loan debt.

In a separate and recent independent finding, 57 percent of Black Americans hold more than $25,000 in student loan debt compared to 47 percent of Americans overall, according to The Motley Fool’s analysis of student debt by geography, age and race. Black women have an average of $41,466 in undergraduate student loan debt one year after graduation, more than any other group and $10,000 more than men.

This same analysis found that Washington, DC residents carried the highest average federal student loan debt balance, with $54,146 outstanding per borrower. Americans holding high levels of student debt lived in many of the nation’s most populous states – including California, Texas, and Florida.

The Fed’s recent finding may be connected to actions taken by the Biden administration to rein in unsustainable debt held by people who sought higher education as a way to secure a better quality of life. This decline is even more noteworthy in light of a series of legal roadblocks to loan forgiveness. In response to these legal challenges, the Education Department on August 1 began emailing all borrowers of an approaching August 30 deadline to contact their loan servicer to decline future financial relief. Borrowers preferring to be considered for future relief proposed by pending departmental regulations should not respond.

If approved as drafted, the new rules would benefit over 30 million borrowers, including those who have already been approved for debt cancellation over the past three years.

“These latest steps will mark the next milestone in our efforts to help millions of borrowers who’ve been buried under a mountain of student loan interest, or who took on debt to pay for college programs that left them worse off financially, those who have been paying their loans for twenty or more years, and many others,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona.

The draft rules would benefit borrowers with either partial or full forgiveness in the following categories:

Borrowers who owe more now than they did at the start of repayment. This category is expected to largely benefit nearly 23 million borrowers, the majority of whom are Pell Grant recipients.
Borrowers who have been in repayment for decades. Borrowers of both undergraduate and graduate loans who began repayment on or before July 1, 2000 would qualify for relief in this category.
Borrowers who are otherwise eligible for loan forgiveness but have not yet applied. If a borrower hasn’t successfully enrolled in an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan but would be eligible for immediate forgiveness, they would be eligible for relief. Borrowers who would be eligible for closed school discharge or other types of forgiveness opportunities but haven’t successfully applied would also be eligible for this relief.
Borrowers who enrolled in low-financial value programs. If a borrower attended an institution that failed to provide sufficient financial value, or that failed one of the Department’s accountability standards for institutions, those borrowers would also be eligible for debt relief.

Most importantly, if the rules become approved as drafted, no related application or actions would be required from eligible borrowers — so long as they did not opt out of the relief by the August 30 deadline.

“The regulations would deliver on unfulfilled promises made by the federal government to student loan borrowers over decades and offer remedies for a dysfunctional system that has often created a financial burden, rather than economic mobility, for student borrowers pursuing a better future,” stated the Center for American Progress in an August 7 web article. “Meanwhile, the Biden-Harris administration also introduced income limits and caps on relief to ensure the borrowers who can afford to pay the full amount of their debts do so.”

“The Center for American Progress estimates the interest waiver provisions would deliver relief to roughly 6 million Black borrowers, or 23 percent of the estimated number of borrowers receiving relief, as well as 4 million Hispanic or Latino borrowers (16 percent) and 13.5 million white borrowers (53 percent).”

These pending regulations would further expand the $168.5 billion in financial relief that the Biden Administration has already provided to borrowers:

$69.2 billion for 946,000 borrowers through fixes to Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).
$51 billion for more than 1 million borrowers through administrative adjustments to IDR payment counts. These adjustments have brought borrowers closer to forgiveness and addressed longstanding concerns with the misuse of forbearance by loan servicers.
$28.7 billion for more than 1.6 million borrowers who were cheated by their schools, saw their institutions precipitously close, or are covered by related court settlements.
$14.1 billion for more than 548,000 borrowers with a total and permanent disability.
$5.5 billion for 414,000 borrowers through the SAVE Plan.

More information for borrowers about this debt relief is available at StudentAid.gov/debt-relief.

Charlene Crowell is a senior fellow with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org.

Charlene Crowell NNPA Newswire Columnist

Posts by Charlene Crowell NNPA Newswire Columnist

#NNPA BlackPress

Congressional Black Caucus Releases Groundbreaking Corporate Accountability Report on DEI

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Most Fortune 500 companies participating in the CBC’s survey demonstrated their commitment to DEI even after the Supreme Court’s ruling. CBC members said this is crucial because conservative organizations, such as Stephen Miller-led America First Legal, are increasingly waging legal and political attacks against corporations’ diversity initiatives. These groups argue that DEI initiatives violate federal law, threatening legal action against companies that continue to promote workplace diversity.

Published

7 days ago

September 9, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Chairman Steven Horsford (NV-04) and CBC members have released a first-of-its-kind report titled “What Good Looks Like: A Corporate Accountability Report on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.” The report aims to hold Fortune 500 companies accountable for their commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the wake of George Floyd’s murder and the racial justice movement that followed. This initiative comes as corporate America faces renewed scrutiny following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn affirmative action in the Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard case.

The CBC’s report highlights which corporations are making tangible progress in advancing DEI and offers a roadmap for other companies to follow. Despite efforts from right-wing groups to dismantle diversity initiatives, the report finds that many Fortune 500 companies are standing firm in their commitments. The report also examines DEI practices in manufacturing, finance, insurance, and technology sectors, providing industry-specific insights.

Most Fortune 500 companies participating in the CBC’s survey demonstrated their commitment to DEI even after the Supreme Court’s ruling. CBC members said this is crucial because conservative organizations, such as Stephen Miller-led America First Legal, are increasingly waging legal and political attacks against corporations’ diversity initiatives. These groups argue that DEI initiatives violate federal law, threatening legal action against companies that continue to promote workplace diversity.

The Findings

The CBC’s report offers a detailed analysis of diversity efforts across various industries, using data from the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) and the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Key findings include:

Sector Representation: The bulk of the responses came from companies in manufacturing (31%), finance and insurance (25%), and information (16%).
Best Practices: The report identifies 12 best practices, including leadership accountability, data disaggregation, talent retention, and pay equity. These examples provide a model for other companies to implement DEI strategies effectively.
Progress and Challenges: While many companies have made significant strides, persistent gaps remain, particularly in leadership diversity and retention rates. The report encourages corporations to move beyond public statements and implement measurable DEI outcomes.

The CBC hopes the report will serve as a tool for corporations to benchmark their progress and adopt more robust DEI measures. “What Good Looks Like” outlines not only where companies are succeeding but also where opportunities for improvement lie, urging corporate leaders to align their actions with their stated DEI values.

Conservative Backlash and the Fight for DEI

Officials said the CBC’s efforts to hold corporations accountable come amid heightened political tensions. Since the Supreme Court’s ruling, Donald Trump and his supporters have escalated their attacks on DEI programs. Right-wing legal campaigns have targeted not only corporate diversity efforts but also federal programs aimed at leveling the playing field for Black and minority-owned businesses.

Conservative attorneys general from over a dozen states have warned Fortune 500 companies, threatening legal action over their diversity programs. Additionally, anti-DEI bills have been introduced in more than 30 states, aiming to restrict diversity efforts in college admissions and the workplace.

Despite the attacks, the CBC said it remains steadfast in its commitment to advancing racial and economic equity. In December 2023, the CBC sent Fortune 500 companies an accountability letter urging them to uphold their DEI commitments in the face of political pressure, which catalyzed the report.

Corporate America’s response has been overwhelmingly positive. Since the CBC’s letter, companies have held over 50 meetings with CBC representatives, affirming their dedication to diversity. The CBC has also convened discussions with industry trade associations and hosted a briefing with more than 300 Fortune 500 company representatives to strengthen collaboration on DEI efforts.

Moving Forward

The CBC’s report is not just a reflection on past efforts but a call to action for the future. It highlights the importance of cross-industry learning, encouraging companies to share best practices and build upon one another’s successes. The CBC also recommends that corporations adopt consistent performance metrics to track progress and foster accountability.

Looking ahead, the CBC plans to push for more economic opportunities for Black Americans, focusing on closing the racial wealth gap. Horsford emphasized that DEI is not only a moral imperative but also an economic one. Research from McKinsey & Company shows that racially diverse companies outperform their peers by 39% in profitability, further underscoring the business case for diversity.

The CBC’s report offers a roadmap for companies committed to fostering a more inclusive and equitable future despite political and legal challenges.

“Following the murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, we witnessed a nationwide response calling for long-overdue justice and accountability,” Horsford wrote in the report. “Millions of Americans flooded the streets in protest to advocate for an end to the cycles of violence against Black Americans that are perpetuated by systemic racism ingrained deeply in the United States.

“Now, in order to move forward and achieve the goals of these commitments, we must evaluate where we are and stay the course. We cannot allow a handful of right-wing agitators to bully corporations away from their promises.”