Yonkers event calls attention to disparities' impact on Black maternal health

Yonkers-based organization Sister to Sister International, Inc. (STSI) held its Day of Recognition, Education and Action on Saturday, which included events addressing health disparities that impact Black communities.

Black maternal health was one of the day's topics. The organization and its community partners hosted a fireside chat with three medical experts: Dr. Uché Blackstock, Dr. Stephanie Lovinksy-Desir and Dr. Chiatogu Onyewu, who discussed the impacts that health disparities have on Black lives.

“I want the public to hear and learn about the deep inequities in our health care system and the negative impacts on Black and communities of color,” Cheryl Brannan, founder of STSI said via email.

“It was a very powerful event,” said Onyewu, senior director of Regeneron Genetic Medicines Program Management & Operations, board member of STSI and a moderator for the fireside chat. “Being in the space where the collective was really on the same page about advancing health and wellness and Black and brown communities...in a kind of holistic way.

“It was really great and special to be a part of it.” Onyewu said.

Disparities and Black maternal health

There’s a long history of health disparities impacting Black and brown communities that were highlighted at Saturday’s event. Blackstock explained some of this history and its current-day impacts in her book “Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine,” weaving portions of her book into the conversation.

“We have what happens to Black birthing people,” Blackstock said, “when they interface with the health care system where they're not listened to, their concerns are minimized or dismissed. But there's a lot that happens before they even get there.

“The stress of just living with everyday racism,” Blackstock continued, “causes a wear and tear on our bodies that predisposes us to chronic conditions and these complications when we end up getting pregnant and delivering.”

The idea that day-to-day racism impacts people’s health was introduced by Dr. Arline Geronimus in the 1990s. Initially ignored, the concept has gained traction as more people consider the health disparities that exist between Black, brown and white communities.

One of those disparities occurs in Black birthing outcomes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as recently as 2021, Black women were dying while pregnant or within 42 days after a pregnancy ends (from "any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management") at a rate 2.6 times higher than non-Hispanic white women.

The importance of advocacy when it comes to health disparity

Saturday’s conversation provided an opportunity for members of the community to learn about health disparities, like the difference in death rates between Black and white birthing people, and consider actions needed to improve outcomes.

“We're dealing with systemic issues,” Blackstock said. “And we're asking people on an individual level to basically arm themselves like they're going to war when they're seeking health care — and when they're feeling their most vulnerable. It's not fair.”

Such problems have caught the attention of the federal government. Members of Congress introduced "H.R. 3305: Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act" during its 2023-2024 session to improve maternal health outcomes “with a particular focus on racial and ethnic minority groups, veterans, and other vulnerable populations,” according to the summary of the bill.

Despite the systemic issues that contribute to health disparities, Blackstock said there are some things birthing people can consider at the individual level to help advocate for themselves.

“What kind of setting do they want to give birth in?” Blackstock said, stressing multiple options for care models. “Do you want to have a provider that is having a more holistic centered idea of what the birthing process is, or more medicalized? Do you want to have unmedicated or medicated birth?”

Ultimately, STSI's recent Day of Recognition, Education and Action provided a space where those who care about addressing health disparities could connect, commune and support one another.

“I think it’s important for Black birthing people to know that we don’t have to go through these challenging experiences alone,” said Dr. Stephanie Lovinsky-Desir, chief of pediatric pulmonology at Columbia University Medical Center’s Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital and a moderator for Saturday's fireside chat.

“It’s important to surround yourself with advocates who can help support you throughout the journey,” Lovinsky-Desir continued, “Because there may be times when you feel unable to speak up for yourself. So it’s good to always have someone that can back you up.”

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Yonkers event puts Black maternal health disparities front and center