Advisory: Black Maternal Health Week Runs April 11-17  

WASHINGTON, DC – Next week, Congresswoman Alma Adams (NC-12), as well as Members of Congress, Senators, numerous community and health organizations, and people and businesses across the world will recognize Black Maternal Health Week from April 11-17. This year's theme is "Building for Liberation Centering Black Mamas, Black Families, and Black Systems of Care."

This is the fifth anniversary of Black Maternal Health Week (BMHW), which Congress first observed in 2018 as a result of a resolution supported by Black Mamas Matter Alliance introduced by then-Senator Kamala Harris in the Senate and Rep. Adams in the House. April is also National Minority Health Month.

Rep. Adams is the co-founder and co-chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus in Congress along with Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14).

Black Maternal Health Week Highlights and Events include:

• Today, Rep. Adams delivered the Keynote at the 5^th Annual Black Maternal Health Conference hosted by the Tufts University School of Medicine.
  • Other guests include Rep. Lauren Underwood, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren
• Re-introduction of the Black Maternal Health Week Resolutionon April 11.
  • Rep. Adams and Rep. Underwood are leading introduction in the House; Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) will introduce in the Senate.
• The National Council of Negro Women, Inc. (NCNW) Queens County Section is hosting a Centering Black Mothers and the Need for Systems of Equitable Healthcare Panel on Tuesday, April 12, 2022 at 6:30 PM ET.
  • Guests include Rep. Adams; New York State Senator Leroy Comrie; and Jada Ledbetter, MPH.
  • Register here.
• On Wednesday, April 13 at 12 Noon ET, Rep. Adams presents the Black Maternal Health Forum 2022.
  • The event is free and open to the public; register here.
  • Flyer available here.
  • Easy to publicize link: /BMHW
• Black Mamas Matter Alliance, National Birth Equity Collaborative, The Century Foundation Panel in cooperation with the Black Maternal Health Caucuson Wednesday, April 13 at 1 PM.
  • Guests include Vice President Kamala Harris, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, Rep. Alma Adams, Rep. Lauren Underwood, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, and Sen. Cory Booker
• Black Maternal Health Panel with Capital B News on Thursday, April 14 at 1:00 PM ET.
  • Panelists include Rep. Adams; Margo Snipe (Moderator); Stacey Stewart, March of Dimes President and CEO; and Tonya Lewis Lee, Producer and Director of Aftershock

Resources

• Black Mamas Matter Alliance 2022 Toolkit
• Presidential Proclamation on Black Maternal Health Week (2021)
• Rep. Adams' Black Maternal Health Week Floor Speech (2021)
• Summary of Rep. Adams' Black Maternal Health Work (2020)
• Quote from Rep. Adams:
  • "Our yearly Black Maternal Health Week resolution says, unequivocally, that Black Moms matter," said Congresswoman Adams, co-founder and co-chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus. "Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen all too clearly the racial and ethnic disparities in health care. Black Americans were one of the hardest hit communities during this pandemic, and Black and Hispanic mothers accounted for a majority of COVID-19 cases among pregnant women in the United States. That is why it is so important for us to raise awareness of Black Maternal Health Week and the maternal mortality and morbidity epidemic Black mothers face, and urge our Congressional and state leaders to take action on one of the greatest public health crises of our time."

Background

• More on Black Maternal Health Week from BMMA
• 6 Moments from BMHW 2021 (Washington Post/The Lily)
• Quote from Rep. Adams:
  • "This week we are lifting up the voices of Black women who are doing the critical work of eliminating maternal health disparities and creating a world where maternal justice and equality are a reality," said Congresswoman Adams, co-chair of the Black Maternal Health Caucus. "In 2018, I was honored to introduce the first Congressional resolution recognizing Black Maternal Health Week with then-Senator Kamala Harris. In 2019, I asked the youngest Black woman elected to Congress, Lauren Underwood, if she wanted to launch a Congressional Caucus focused on Black maternal health. So, we launched the Black Maternal Health Caucus, which now boasts 115 bipartisan Members of Congress. In 2020, we introduced the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act – a package of 12 bills to comprehensively address existing gaps in policy solutions to the maternal health crisis. The bill was crafted with Black women, by Black women and for Black women. Last year, we re-introduced the Momnibus, and passed the first bill from the package. I'm so excited to continue this work in this Congress, because Black mamas can't wait."
• The Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act, was reintroduced in February of 2021 by Adams, Underwood, and Booker. The Momnibus builds on existing maternal health legislation with 12 bills to comprehensively address the clinical and non-clinical drivers of the maternal health crisis in the United States. The Momnibus makes critical investments in addressing social determinants of health, funding community-based organizations, growing and diversifying the perinatal workforce, and improving data collection processes. The Momnibus also includes new legislation to address the impacts of COVID-19 and climate change on maternal and infant health outcomes.

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