The Risk Black Women Take For Pregnancy

In an ideal world, the journey of pregnancy is filled with an abundance of excitement, but for black women, pregnancy is a risk. Black women are six times more likely to die during childbirth and while statistics are always by chance, that chance can happen to anyone. The question remains, why do black women have to live in fear? And why do black women have to live in fear while birthing a new life? It’s disgustingly disappointing that a generally joyful situation like childbirth has a feeling of dread tied to it. What’s even worse is that the statistics are rising and the issue is only getting worse. 

The conclusion as to why black women are at such risk comes back to one thing: hate. Discrimination itself directly affects those who discriminate against not only emotionally, but physically. There is a concept named “toxic stress” where hate has a literal physical effect on the body. Who is the most affected by this? Black folks. So while ignorance voices racial slurs and microaggressive comments, Black bodies are overwhelmed by the hate. It makes sense. Imagine being told by society that you’re not enough? Black folks live with a sense of indifference that correlates to their development in toxic stress. While they might not physically feel it, their insides react to the hate in a way that they cannot control. 

The Black experience is an unjust experience that causes immortality whether that is the mother or newborn child. The Black experience is detrimental to starting a family, a right that everyone has. However, the system of oppression is all around us. It is in our unconsciously biased healthcare system, our socioeconomic standards, and redlined communities. The experience causes Black folks to live to survive. It is a privilege to never fear death for a special occasion like childbirth.