Advocates work to address challenges in the health care system for Michigan’s Black mothers
Apr 17, 2025 | 9:00 am ET
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State Rep. Stephanie Young (D-Detroit) joined Mothering Justice for an event in Lansing to mark Black Maternal Health Week on Wednesday.
She said events like the advocacy day organized by Mothering Justice are important to the legislative process.
“Legislation usually starts, unfortunately, when something may have gone wrong or something is under attack,” Young said. “And we’re in a space now where so many things are under attack.”
A “momnibus” bill package that seeks to reduce racial inequities in maternal mortality is currently working its way through the Michigan Senate. While policies in the package had bipartisan support last legislative session, state Sen. Erika Geiss (D-Taylor) noted last month when the package was reintroduced that the bills became a “lame duck casualty of the House” after Republican lawmakers boycotted session in December in protest to minimum and tipped wage reforms not being placed for a vote.
Black Maternal Health Statistics
In 2023, the maternal mortality rate for non-Hispanic Black women was 50.3 deaths per 100,000 live births, nearly 3.5 times the rate for non-Hispanic White women. (CDC, 2025).
In the U.S., Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than White women. CDC notes that more than 80% of pregnancy related deaths are preventable (CDC, 2024)
In 2022, the rate of preterm birth among Black women (12.34%) was about 1.5 times higher than the rate of preterm birth among white or Hispanic women, 7.64% and 8.72% respectively. (CDC, 2024)
Statistics provided by Black Mamas Matter Alliance.
Young said at Wednesday’s event that “just to talk about Black mamas is under attack now.”
“We were okay with lifting it up before, but now it is like a dog whistle for people,” Young said.
She said the heightened reactivity has led her to tailor her message to each audience individually.
“I can get what I need to get for Black mamas without saying ‘Black mama’ sometimes, but I can be in some spaces where that’s all I’m going to say. But I just know who I’m dealing with,” Young said. “So we’re learning how to be strategic.”
But Young added that Black women face increased challenges in the health care system than their white counterparts, including in being believed when they say something is wrong or that they need medication.
“If a house is on fire on the block with 20 houses, do you stop at the other 19, or do you focus on the one that’s in the most jeopardy, the one that’s about to go up in flames?” Young said. “When we talk about Black maternal health, it’s because we’ve been the ones that’s been in the most jeopardy of not getting the services that we needed.”
Lansing, MI