More than 50 University of Michigan students and staff gathered in the Trotter Multicultural Center Tuesday to hear from three guest speakers about their experience advocating for Black maternal rights. The event was co-hosted by the Ford School’s Center for Racial Justice and the Trotter Distinguished Leadership Series, which is designed to increase healthy discourse by inviting speakers from the political and public service sectors.
The event featured three women: Leseliey Welch, co-founder of Birth Detroit and Birth Center Equity, Tatiana Omolo, government and policy affairs director for Mothering Justice, a grassroots advocacy group focused on advocating for mothers of Color in the U.S., and Cassy Jones-McBryde, founder of The International Fuller Woman Network and creator of The Michigan Chamber for Reproductive Justice.
Omolo emphasized how adverse health outcomes uniquely impact Black Americans across income and social status levels. Omolo has dedicated herself to dismantling harmful policies for Black Americans and fostering social change through political action.
“Even if you take into account someone’s income, someone’s social status or social power, their education level, the outcomes are still a lot worse for Black women and Black people,” Omolo said.
In an interview with The Michigan Daily, Omolo said this work is particularly urgent given disproportionate fatality levels among Black women.
“Black women are dying, and at much higher rates than other women and birthgivers here in the U.S.,” Omolo said.
Welch highlighted the availability and benefits of midwives and other non-physician birthing support. She called for further support for and collaboration with these other professionals, saying it can help ensure respect for the birthing person.
“If you go to a physician and you are not respected and you are not treated well, you can make a different choice,” Welch said. “We are not investing in midwives, and we should.”
Jones-McBryde stressed the importance of addressing maternal health disparities across the entire pregnancy and postpartum period, rather than just at birth. According to Jones-McBryde, postpartum resources are often lacking, despite the probability of complications after birth. Complications during the postpartum period are twice as likely for Black women compared to white women.
“I advocate for people who go into (birth) fearful for their own survival,” Jones-McBryde said. “We lose more of our people in the postpartum period. Having what we need to care for our bodies and our babies after we come home is really important to me.”
The panelists shifted to discuss policy solutions to these disparities, emphasizing increased variety in maternal care options and the importance of prioritizing health equity. Omolo said any solutions must start at the state level, highlighting that the state of Michigan is one of only nine states in the U.S. that do not license birth centers, a home-like place where midwives provide prenatal, birth and postpartum care.
“Right here in Michigan you don’t have birth centers licensed yet,” Omolo said. “That means you’re not going to get insurance reimbursement, so a lot of times we’ll be having to pay out of pocket.”
Welch said her organization has been working toward state-level policy change including licensing birth centers, as well as increasing access to and affordability of midwife care.
“We’ve been working on legislation to change licensure and reimbursement in our state for midwives and for our centers,” Welch said. “So we will have an equity-centered bill package on birth equity and nonbirth center licensure coming out this year. Be on the lookout and support it when you see it because it is about making this care accessible in our state, for the future.”
Nursing sophomore Chelsea Amankwah-Akuffo told The Daily in an interview the event helped her understand how to center maternal health equity in her intended career field.
“I am thinking about going into the labor and delivery route,” Amankwah-Akuffo said. “I think that part of this (event) gives me insight into what I should know, going into the field so that I can best advocate for my patients.”
In an interview with The Daily before the event, Omolo said students can begin to push for change by talking to and helping educate the people around them on maternal health disparities.
“My idea is that change really happens when people understand and know more, and sometimes the biggest change you can make is having a conversation with someone who might not understand the issues and help them to see what is actually happening,” Omolo said. “And if everyone does that little by little, I think more people are going to be on board with whatever policy issue or social issues going on.”
Daily Staff Reporter Elizabeth Stafford can be reached at libstaf@umich.edu.