HEALTH

MOTHER’S DAY: FOR MANY BLACK AND INDIGENOUS WOMEN, MOTHERHOOD IS A FIGHT AGAINST, RACISM, SEXISM, AND VIOLENCE

BY ROBERTA K. TIMOTHY ON 5/12/19 AT 12:10 AM EDT

Käthe Kollwitz, Mother With Two Children, 1932-6

9 ways racism impacts maternal health

May 8, 2019 11.34pm BST

As we celebrate our moms and mommies this Mother’s Day, let us not forget that for some, motherhood is not an enjoyed privilege. For many Black, Indigenous and racialized women in Turtle Island (North America) and globally — motherhood is a fight for life.

The struggle for our maternal health and motherhood includes daily resistance against anti-Black racism, anti-indigeneity, sexism, classism and other forms of intersectional violence.

The health of Black pregnant women and mothers is a key issue being debated in the United States presidential 2020 campaigns especially by Sen. Kamala Harris and Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Recently, Harris introduced a resolution to raise awareness of the disproportionately high rates of pregnancy-related deaths among Black women.

Professional tennis player Serena Williams’ recent maternal health crisisdemonstrated that Black women’s reproductive health can be jeopardized, suspect, dismissed and at risk of demise even for the very talented, wealthy and well-known.