About the Report

Black mothers and infants have been dying at alarmingly high levels for far too long. Inequities in preterm birth, infant mortality, severe maternal morbidity, and pregnancy-associated mortality for Black people have persisted both in California and nationally. Too often, interventions to improve Black maternal and infant health have focused on individual level risk factors such as health behaviors; however, much research has shown that structural racism is the driver of these inequities.

The development of this report was informed by an Advisory Group of Black women leaders from across California who graciously provided their time, expertise, insights, and lived experiences. Black Women for Wellness (BWW), an organization focused on empowering the health and well-being of Black women, played an essential role in recruiting participants and convening the Advisory Group in collaboration with the Center for Health Equity (CHE) at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF).