Why childbirth is deadlier if you’re not white

The statistics don’t lie: Maternal morbidity and mortality rates in the U.S. are significantly higher in Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities. We talk with filmmaker Dominique Rémy about her investigation into why this is happening and what can be done about it.

by Maximillian Alvarez April 26, 2021April 26, 2021

Maya Warren, 31, visits her doctor's office for a checkup before giving birth at Providence Hospital in Washington, D.C., on Monday, November 28, 2016. The pregnant mother works as an Uber driver with no paid time off for maternity leave. Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post via Getty Images

In this unearthed, pre-pandemic recording of “Working People,” we talk to filmmaker Dominique Rémy about her important full-length documentary project, which investigates the shockingly high maternal morbidity and mortality rates in Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities in the U.S.

Additional links/info below…

Dominique’s Twitter page
Canary Film Project Twitter page
Maternal Mortality Documentary Film Fund
Linda Villarosa, New York Times, “Why America’s Black Mothers and Babies Are in a Life-or-Death Crisis“
Amy Roeder, Harvard Public Health, “America Is Failing Its Black Mothers“
Elizabeth Chuck, NBC News, “The U.S. Finally Has Better Maternal Mortality Data. Black Mothers Still Fare the Worst“
Katy B. Kozhimannil, JAMA Health Forum, “Indigenous Maternal Health—A Crisis Demanding Attention“
Elizabeth Chuck & Haimy Assefa, NBC News, “She Hoped to Shine a Light on Maternal Mortality Among Native Americans. Instead, She Became a Statistic of It“

Featured Music (all songs sourced from the Free Music Archive: freemusicarchive.org)

Jules Taylor, “Working People Theme Song”
Evie Sands, “Shine for Me”

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Maximillian Alvarez

Editor-in-Chief
Ten years ago, I was working 12-hour days as a warehouse temp in Southern California while my family, like millions of others, struggled to stay afloat in the wake of the Great Recession. Eventually, we lost everything, including the house I grew up in. It was in the years that followed, when hope seemed irrevocably lost and help from above seemed impossibly absent, that I realized the life-saving importance of everyday workers coming together, sharing our stories, showing our scars, and reminding one another that we are not alone. Since then, from starting the podcast Working People—where I interview workers about their lives, jobs, dreams, and struggles—to working as Associate Editor at the Chronicle Review and now as Editor-in-Chief at The Real News Network, I have dedicated my life to lifting up the voices and honoring the humanity of our fellow workers.

Email: max@therealnews.com

Follow: @maximillian_alv

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