We need to talk about two recent cases of medical racism in maternity care. In this post you’ll learn more about what steps you can take to directly address this crisis.
Last month, like so many moments in the reproductive health space, we woke up to information that has our hearts despairing.
Two viral videos last month showed us—in heartbreaking detail—what the data, maternal and public health experts, and families themselves have been telling us for years. Many excellent educators have elevated critical information about this topic and before we begin, we want to direct you to some of their pages: Blair Imani @blairimani, Dr. Uché Blackstock @ucheblackstockmd, Dr. Joel Bervell @joelbervell, and Dr. Michael H. Forde @drmichaelhforde. Many more resources below!
These videos are hard – even excruciating, and certainly exhausting – to see. While we encourage you to listen to your body and mind when determining whether to watch the actual videos in full, we urge you to pay attention to what happened to these mothers: Karrie Jones in Texas, and Mercedes Wells in Indiana. Because this is about life, death, and dignity. Because this is about who we are as a country.
These are not isolated incidents. Black women in the US are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women (regardless of *income level or educational achievement*), according to the CDC [web archive]. And here’s what really matters—more than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventable.
So what’s behind this?
It’s a combination of things (this is not an exhaustive list):
- Structural or systemic racism embedded in how healthcare is accessed and delivered
- Implicit biases (interpersonal) – biases that are often reinforced throughout education and training – that lead to clinicians dismissing Black people’s pain
- Weathering—the cumulative health effects of stress and discrimination on a person over a lifetime.
Both Karrie and Mercedes knew their bodies. They advocated for themselves. They begged for help. And they were ignored. That’s the crisis.
Okay, so what can we actually do about this?
We’ve broken down some actionable steps.
First, if you’re supporting a Black birthing person, know that they might need an advocate with them—someone to amplify their voice and insist on attentive care when clinicians aren’t listening.
Second, know the warning signs that require immediate medical attention when you are pregnant or within the first few weeks of having given birth:
- severe headaches,
- extreme swelling of hands or face,
- trouble breathing,
- heavy vaginal bleeding or discharge, or
- overwhelming tiredness, different from your baseline
Please also pay attention to your baby’s movements while you are pregnant. If they lessen, contact your clinician.
Paying attention to these can save your life and the life of your baby. Don’t let anyone dismiss these symptoms.
Third, doulas make a huge difference. (Doulas are trained, non-medical professionals who provide physical, emotional, and informational support to people and families during pregnancy, labor, birth, and the postpartum period.) Research shows they reduce complications and improve outcomes, especially for Black people. If you can, hire a doula. If you can’t afford one, look for community-based doula programs that provide services on a sliding scale. Doulas can help you be proactive in creating a birthing and postpartum plan that prioritizes your health and that of your newborn.
Fourth, when choosing where to give birth, ask questions:
- What’s your c-section rate?
- How do you handle pain management for Black patients?
- What protocols do you have for obstetric emergencies?
- How are you addressing racial disparities in your facility?
And finally—and this matters for everyone, not just pregnant people—we need to demand systemic change.
Support the many organizations working on Black maternal health.
Contact your representatives about Medicaid expansion, doula coverage, and funding for maternal mortality review committees.
Share Karrie’s and Mercedes’s stories. Not because they’re shocking—though they are—but because visibility creates accountability. These families turned their trauma into advocacy, so this doesn’t keep happening.
Both pairs of mothers and babies are okay now, thank goodness.
But that’s not good enough.
We can’t keep celebrating when Black people and babies simply survive what should be a safe, supported experience. The trauma of their birthing experiences will be something that they carry in their bodies, minds, and spirits for years to come. This is how racially disparate health outcomes are formed from even before birth – and why actively anti-racist care must exist from birth.
We have no choice but to raise the bar from here, and Those Nerdy Girls are committed to pulling our weight through the information we deliver.
Black people deserve to be believed. They deserve to be heard. They deserve to thrive. It’s that simple.
For more information and resources on Black maternal health, check out Those Nerdy Girls’ articles on Black Maternal Health and organizations like Black Mamas Matter Alliance and the National Birth Equity Collaborative.
Thanks for reading. And if you’re pregnant or supporting someone who is—trust your instincts, demand respect, and know that you deserve better.
To Karrie and Mercedes: We see you, and we’re committed to saying your names while you’re still here.
Stay safe, stay engaged.
Those Nerdy Girls &+
Resources:
- Those Nerdy Girls: Black Maternal Health Week is April 11-17, 2025 and What do we need to know about Black Maternal Health?
- Black Mamas Matter Alliance
- National Birth Equity Collaborative
- Preeclampsia Foundation
- Centering Black Mothers
- Culturally Attuned Birth Plan Template provided by BLACK Wellness and Prosperity Center
Continuing Education (folks to follow):
- Blair Imani (Author, Historian, and Mental Health Advocate behind the viral ongoing video series, “Smarter in Seconds”
- Dr. Uché Blackstock (Emergency Medical Physician and CEO of Advancing Health Equity)
- Dr. Nastassia Harris (Founding President of the Perinatal Health Equity Initiative and CEO of Ignite Maternal Health)
- Dr. Joia Crear-Perry (President of the National Birth Equity Collaborative)
- Dr. Kanika Harris (Executive Director of the National Association to Advance Black Birth and Senior Director of Maternal and Child Health at Black Women’s Health Imperative)
- Dr. Nicole Rankins (OBGYN and Founder of The Birth With Power Podcast) —> We’ve cited her in a couple of our posts!
- Ariana McGee (Founder and CEO of Navigate Maternity)
- Dr. Joel Bervell (Health + Racial Justice Advocate known widely as the “Medical Mythbuster”)
- Dr. Michael H. Forde (Author, Science Communication Expert, and Digital Public Health Storyteller)
- Joshua Liston-Zawadi (Founder of Dad Doula University and the Melanated Daddy Blog)
