Black Mothers Matter: Combatting the Maternal Mortality Epidemic

In Franklin County, and across the U.S., there are long-standing racial disparities in maternal and birth outcomes, particularly between White and Black women. One of the most glaring determinates of inequity in U.S. healthcare can be seen in maternal birth rates. Based on the 2020 report Maternal Mortality Rates in the United States by The Centers for Disease Control, the maternal mortality rate for non-Hispanic Black women in 2020 was 55.3 deaths per 100,000 live births, 2.9 times the rate for non-Hispanic White women. It’s an equity gap that appears to be worsening. As highlighted in the award-winning 2022 documentary film Aftershock, Black birthing mothers face three-to-four times the mortality risk compared to their white counterparts. Join CMC and a panel of passionate experts as we uncover this hidden epidemic in maternal health and highlight a way forward toward better and more equitable outcomes for all mothers.

Featuring Jatu Boikai, Nurse Manager, Maternity Services, Mount Carmel Health System, Shawnee Benton-Gibson, Co-Founder and CEO, Spirit of a Woman Leadership Development Institute, and Co-Founder, ARIAH Foundation, Jessica Roach, CEO, Co-Founder, and Clinical Director, Restoring Our Own Through Transformation, and Dorian L. Wingard, Co-Founder, COO, and Policy Director, Restoring Our Own Through Transformation, with host Erica Crawley, Franklin County Board of Commissioners.

Free Film Screening: Aftershock Documentary
Critical Conversations: A Call for Action on Improving Maternal Health Outcomes

Wednesday, August 16, 2023
Doors Open at 4:30 p.m., Show Starts at 5:00 p.m
COSI – John Glenn Giant Screen Theater

Attend a free screening of the award-winning documentary Aftershock, followed by a discussion and Q&A session featuring Franklin County Commissioner Erica C. Crawley, Jessica Roach, Chief Executive Officer, and Co-Founder of ROOTT, (Restoring Our Own Through Transformation), and Shawnee Benton Gibson, Co-Founder and CEO of Spirit of a Woman Leadership Development Institute and Co-Founder, ARIAH Foundation. Aftershock follows the tragic cases of two mothers who lost their lives shortly after giving birth, and the screening will be followed by a discussion and Q&A session with Commissioner Crawley and the mother of one of the women featured in the movie. Please click here for more information and to register.