Health Topics

Racism, particularly, Anti-Black racism, impacts the lives of black mothers every day. Racism is alive and well in America. It is defined as “a system of unequal power and privilege in which human beings are divided into groups or races, with social rewards being unevenly distributed to groups based on their racial classification” (Hayes & Casstevens, 2017, p. 14). Due to perpetual systematic racism, many black mothers struggle economically, socially, and psychologically. In San Francisco, black mothers face affordable housing challenges, high risk for traumatic stress, and chronic health conditions, including diabetes and hypertension. Despite rigged systems, black mothers continue to show resiliency. Black women are the most educated population in the United States.

Call to action items to dismantle the debilitating effects of racism on birthing black women: Educate: Speak up and speak out on social injustices impacting black mothers and their experiences with systemic racism in obtaining affordable housing, respect in healthcare settings, mass incarceration, and other social barriers. Elevate: Celebrate and encourage black mothers. Empower: The Black Infant Health program continues the success of Black mothers in San Francisco and statewide. Through an evident-based group intervention model, Black Infant Health supports Black mothers by reducing social isolation, stress and increasing social support. A satisfaction survey conducted among program participants statewide agreed that the program helped them build stronger connections, manage stress, and set and achieve their goals (www.cdph.ca.gov, 2021).