Black mothers and babies in the US face significantly higher rates of pregnancy-related mortality and infant mortality compared to white counterparts. From 2007-2016, the pregnancy-related mortality ratio for black women was 40.8 per 100,000 live births, over 3 times the rate of 12.7 for white women. The infant mortality rate for black infants in 2018 was 10.8 per 1,000 live births, over twice the rate of 4.6 for white children. Researchers like Dr. Rachel Hardeman and Dr. Fleda Jackson study how structural racism impacts these disparities and how to improve health outcomes.

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MEETING TITLE
Client Name
Project Name
Meeting Date/Subtitle
Black History Month
Spotlight

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Maternal Health

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In the US, the pregnancy–related mortality rate and infant mortality rate are significantly higher
among black mothers and babies, compared to their white counterparts.
Black Maternal Health and Infant Mortality
Source: Centers for Disease Control; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Accessed February 2021
Maternal Health
• From 2007-2016, black women experienced a pregnancy-related
mortality ratio (PRMR) of 40.8 per 100K live births, compared to 12.7
for white women
• This disparity exists regardless of socioeconomic class, with the PRMR
for black women with higher education 5.2 times higher than their
white peers
Infant Mortality
• In 2018, the infant mortality rate (IMR) among black infants was 10.8
per 1000 live births, compared to 4.6 for white children
• The number one cause of infant death in the US, low birthweight, lead
to 3.8 times more deaths among black infants than white (2017)

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Dr. Rachel Hardeman and Dr. Fleda Jackson have contributed significantly to the understanding
how structural racism impacts black maternal/infant health and how to improve outcomes.
Leaders Pushing for Improvement
Source: University of Minnesota; Rachelhardeman.com; Drfledamjackson.com, Accessed February 2021
Rachel Hardeman, PhD, MPH
• Assistant professor at the University of Minnesota
and principal investigator of the MORhELab
• Researches disparities in maternal health, especially
as it relates to the potential mental health impacts
of living in communities that experience police
violence
• Appointed to the Minnesota Maternal Mortality
Review Committee and CDC Maternal Mortality
Review Information Application Bias work group
• Understanding how structural racism impacts health
outcomes and ways to mitigate this
Fleda M. Jackson, PhD
• Leader and creator of Save 100 Babies, a Georgia-
based group focused on understanding and
eliminating disparities in black maternal and infant
health
• Works to improving the health of women, children,
and families through community-based and
culturally sensitive research
• Produced a contextualized measure for evaluating
the intersection of racial and gendered stress
• Translated this research to inform national and
regional policies that have advanced health
outcomes for black mothers and infants

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Donate Legislation and Education
There are many organizations and activists working to eliminate the disparity in maternal health
outcomes.
Source: Congress.gov; Black Maternal Health Caucus; Govtrack.us, Accessed February 2021
• Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2020 (H.R. 6142)
– Introduced 3/9/2020, but died in congress (never received a vote)
– Measures include investment in maternal mental health care,
investment in digital tools like telehealth in underserved areas, and
improvement of data collection processes and quality measures
– Supporters include the American Academy of Family Physicians
(AAFP), the National Birth Equity Collaborative, the Preeclampsia
Foundation, and Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMF)
• Black Mothers Keep Dying After Giving Birth. Shalon Irving's Story
Explains Why
• How the US Medical Community Fails Black Women
• City Planning’s Role in Black Maternal Mortality
EIN: 51-0544927
EIN: 91-1837139
EIN: 47-4003615

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HIV/AIDS

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Source: CDC.gov
In the US and globally, HIV/AIDS disproportionately affects Black & African American people, due
to effects of racism, homophobia in the community, socioeconomic issues, and awareness gaps.
HIV/AIDS in Black and African American People

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A large part of HIV/AIDS management is increasing awareness for the condition. Below are several
Black and African American figures whose stories have promoted awareness and key dialogues.
Civilians & Celebrities
Source CDC.gov; PBS
• Rae Lewis Thornton
– The first HIV-positive African American woman
to tell her story for a national publication in
Essence Magazine
– Her interview contributed to the effort to raise
AIDS awareness and reconstruct the narrative
of who could be affected by the disease
• Earvin “Magic” Johnson
– NBA legend announced in 1991 that he was
HIV-positive
– Prior to his announcement, the majority of
celebrity faces of AIDS had been white males
• Arthur Ashe
– Renowned tennis player who died of AIDS in
1993
– Founded the Arthur Ashe Foundation for the
Defeat of AIDS and Arthur Ashe Institute for
Urban Health
• Reggie Williams
– One of the Black community’s first and most
vocal black gay HIV activists
– Founder of the National Task Force on AIDS
Prevention and the National Association of
Black and White Men Together
• Sylvester
– One of the first most widely known Black
celebrities to have died from AIDS, contributing
to the evolving celebrity face of HIV/AIDS
• Craig Harris
– One of the founders of the National Minority
AIDS Council
– Known for his disruption at the American Public
Health Association’s first AIDS session, in which
no people of color were allowed

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Several Black and African American doctors have played a crucial role in the past and current fight
for HIV/AIDS management, and the list below highlights just a few of these individuals.
Physicians & Politicians
Source: University of Nebraska Medical Center; HIV.gov
• Dr. Kimberly Smith MD, MPH
– Advocates for women and children living with
HIV, who are often left out of the conversation
– Has published several papers and received
numerous awards
– Now head of Global Research and Medical
Strategy at ViiV Healthcare, the only pharma
company 100% dedicated to HIV treatment
• Dr. Adaora Adimora, MD, MPH, FIDSA, FACP
– Professor of Medicine at UNC
– Research focused on socioeconomic and racial
disparities in HIV
– Advocates for representation of women and
minorities in HIV clinical research
• Dr. N’Galy Bosenge
– Bosenge led research and advocated for changing
practices that led to increased HIV transmission,
such as blood transfusions
– Also established Project SIDA, an AIDS research
collaborative between Zaire, US, and Belgium to
study the disease in central Africa
• Dr. Kapita Bila Minlangu
– Minlangu is credited with being one of the first
African doctors to identify individuals for clinical
studies, resulting in a key 1984 publication that
proved HIV/AIDS did not just affect gay men only

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The fight for racial justice in HIV/AIDS infection and management continues today, and several
individuals are at the forefront of that conversation making steps towards progress.
Today’s Champions
Source: Black AIDS Institute; AIDS Memorial Website; Blavity.com
• Raniyah Copeland & Phil Wilson
– Founders of the Black Aids Institute (BAI),
a think and do tank
– Wilson is a Black, gay man living with HIV
– Copeland is a Black, lesbian doctor
– Established BAI in 1999 to mobilize and
educate Black Americans about HIB/AIDS
treatment and care
– Recently conducted a think tank with
Black and Latinx leaders to explore
COVID-19 pandemic, treatment
skepticism, and how to address it
• Ken Williams
– Young, gay, Black activist diagnosed with
AIDS
– Runs video blog to bring awareness to his
journey and break the stigma around the
disease
• Gabriel Maldonado
– Founder of TruEvolution, a nonprofit
organization dedicated to fighting for
HIV/AIDS health equity and prevention in
communities of color
– During Obama’s term, Maldonado served on
the Presidential Advisory Council on
HIV/AIDS (PACHA), which was initially
implemented by Clinton but disbanded by
Trump
• Hydeia Broadbent & Mary Bowman
– Broadbent was part of the first generation
of children born HIV positive
– Has shared her story on several major media
outlets including The Oprah Winfrey Show,
raising awareness for the disease and the
people it continues to affect
– Bowman was a poet with AIDS who is
known for her arts activism to spread
awareness

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Donate Get Educated & Contact your Local Legislation
Here are a few actions you can prioritize this month to address this issue and take part in the
ongoing fight for racial equity in our health systems and society.
Source: HIV Law and Policy; Black AIDS Institute; NC AIDS Action Network; CDC.gov
Donate to the Black AIDS Institute here
EIN: 95-4742741
• Although federal and state legislation around people living with HIV
(PLHIV) has advanced over the last 50 years, criminal laws still support
discriminatory practices
• Given the racial inequity in HIV infection rate and healthcare access,
laws that criminalize PLHIV consequently increase mass
criminalization of Black and African Americans, resulting in further
disenfranchisement
• What can you do?
– Check out this helpful webinar on HIV Law Reform (key points in
21:00-26:30)
– Endorse the Consensus Statement on the Criminalization of HIV in
the US by emailing this address
– Call or email your local legislator to express the need for equity-
focused healthcare legislation for PLHIV
– Raise awareness on social media. Not sure what to say? Check out
this resource from the CDC
Support Local. Donate to the NC AIDS Action Network here
EIN: 32-0323779