Each year in the United States, approximately 700 people die during pregnancy, delivery, or shortly afterwards. A closer look at the data reveals that pregnancy-related mortality rates among Black and Indigenous communities are three and two times higher, respectively, compared to the rate of their white counterparts.

Many things contribute to these birth inequities, including access to quality healthcare, structural racism, implicit bias from healthcare providers, and underlying chronic conditions.

Dr. Rachel Hardeman, University of Minnesota School of Public Health Blue Cross Endowed Professor of Health and Racial Equity, founding director of the Center for Antiracism Research for Health Equity, and board member of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation, provides more insight:

“Many birthing people of color, particularly those who are Black and Indigenous, report high levels of mistrust and experiencing disrespect and a lack of autonomy when receiving prenatal care. This can cause particular harm during the first trimester of pregnancy. This is a critical period for a baby’s development, but barriers to healthcare make it harder for their mothers to get the care they need," Hardeman says.

Black Maternal Health Week

Confronting this inequitable reality is the driving force behind the annual Black Maternal Health Week, which ran this year from April 11-17. Founded by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, the week focuses on awareness, activism, and community-building aimed at amplifying Black voices, bringing visibility to Black-led maternal health initiatives, and centering the values and traditions of the reproductive and birth justice movements.

This year’s theme was “Our Bodies Belong to Us: Restoring Black Autonomy and Joy” – a theme that organizers say “captures the ethos and spirit behind [their] collective efforts to amplify the voices, perspectives and lived experiences of Black women and birthing people.”

How the Blue Cross Foundation supports birth equity

The Blue Cross Foundation recently awarded $300,000 in grants to advance birth equity in Minnesota. These grants were awarded to nonprofit organizations who deliver high-quality, culturally relevant patient-centered prenatal and postpartum care. The organizations receiving this grant funding include the African American Babies Coalition in St. Paul, the Northwest Indian Community Development Center in Bemidji, and Roots Community Birth Center in Minneapolis.

These grants are part of the Foundation’s Equitable Care and Coverage program, which seeks to increase healthcare coverage across Minnesota, support community solutions to accessing equitable care and increase awareness about communities most impacted by a lack of healthcare access.

“Research and lived experience have shown us time and again that health inequities are strongly rooted in racism, discrimination and marginalization of communities,” says Bukata Hayes, chair of the Blue Cross Foundation board, and vice president of racial and health equity and chief equity officer at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. “Research also tells us that healthcare that is culturally informed and patient-centered is linked to positive long-term health outcomes for children, families, and communities."

Learn more

Support Black Maternal Health Week.

Explore resources and information from the Black Mamas Matter Alliance.

Read more about the recent Foundation grants here and here.