“Black mothers are three to four times more likely to die from birth complications. We know that part of this is due to the fact that moms are not always listened to by their providers—particularly Black moms. It’s an unfortunate reality that race-based injustices have always been a part of the health care system,” says CEO and Mahmee founder Melissa Hanna, who founded the company with her own mother. (Learn more about the company below.) Here, we rounded up a few resources for Black mothers. (As a white woman who is childless, I understand this is not my space or lived experience, and I have much to learn about being a helpful ally—so please reach out if you have thoughts or additional resources we should include.) Also, a few of these organizations accept donations, so please consider contributing if you are able. “Health education stood out because it’s something I struggled with when I was a kid. As I dove into the subject, I came to understand how health is linked to behavior, academic performance, and overall success in life. For me, it was poor mental health that got in the way. While I was a high performer academically and athletically, I was very isolated, and in many ways, I missed out on the joy of education. I didn’t want that for other kids. I decided I wanted to build a solution that would ensure that every kid feels confident, connected, and worthy of health and success,” says McPollom. “Now as a mother, that mission is even more important to me. And with everything that’s happening in the world today, it’s made me realize that it’s not just kids who need this type of education. So we’re already working to expand beyond K-12 health into topics like financial health, environmental health, even organizational health. “And this industry is lacking the IT infrastructure needed to connect these professionals from different organizations to one another and to follow and monitor patients across practices and health systems. This missing element creates gaps in care. Mahmee is the glue that connects the care ecosystem and closes the gaps.” They put together a video series about giving birth in America, which will help educate and inform you about the problem at hand, if you are looking for resources. They also posted an anti-racist reading and resource list that specifically discusses the Black maternal health crisis in America.
