California has one of the widest racial gaps in maternal mortality in the country, with Black women three to four times more likely to die than their counterparts.
Change, advocates say, will come not from repeatedly highlighting disparities, but centering Black-led solutions. This was the driving force behind the recent California Black Birth Equity Summit. Held locally at the DoubleTree Hotel, the summit drew clinicians, midwives, doulas, and policymakers.
Event founder Mashariki Kudumu said this year’s theme, “Rooted In Action,” was a direct reflection of the movement to elevate Black leaders and tangible solutions to a crisis that Black women have long known how to solve…