The United States healthcare system is one of the most expensive in the world. Yet, preterm birth rates among Black women are 50% higher than Hispanic or White women. American Indian women are 7.8 times more likely to die during birth than white women, while Black women are 3 times as high. These are horrifying statistics, especially in a highly-developed country like the United States. What these numbers reflect is systemic racism in the medical industry.
The Black and American Indian-led Birth Justice Collaborative launched in 2022 to improve community birth outcomes in response to these alarming statistics. The Collaborative’s partners include the University of Minnesota Robert J. Jones Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC), Hennepin County, Collective Action Lab, and more.
The Collaborative operates with five key strategies. These strategies have formed the Collaborative’s two-year priorities, which include “creating a trusted cultural provider network for mothers with financial incentives, creating an advocate training program to provide quality, culturally-centered advocacy, and prioritizing anti-bias report card programs that call out culturally-insensitive practices and encourage accountability,” amongst others. Want to get involved or learn more? Reach out to the Collaborative at info@birthjusticecollaborative.com.
Interested in learning more about birth justice organizations? Check out these local birth resources within Minneapolis:
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