Black maternal health & COVID-19

From Center for Health Journalism

"Research has shown strong associations between disrespectful care from health systems and providers and poor reproductive health outcomes. The association between institutionalized and internalized racism and the health of Black women is clear. While it is difficult for many people to recognize that unequal access to resources such as health care is ultimately racist, the Black maternal health crisis makes this abundantly clear. The simplest example of this is the significant reduction in infant mortality observed in states that expanded Medicaid. In 14 of the states that did not expand Medicaid, Black people make up the largest population of those most likely to be eligible. Access to health insurance is known to reduce the burdens of disease and death in all populations, yet policy makers make this an economic argument, not a moral argument.

Fortunately, a new book makes that moral argument seem more urgent and relevant than ever. In “Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in America’s Black Cities,” Dr. Andre Perry, a scholar and Brookings fellow, makes the case for investments that close the equity gap for Black people. This is a tall order given the depth and range of racism in this country, but he argues that in order to ensure Black futures, we must invest resources in solutions that affirm Black families and the Black community as assets — not deviations from a white standard."