Black Maternal Health Week (April 11 – 17, 2022)

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The fifth annual national Black Maternal Health Week (BMHW) campaign, founded and led by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, will be April 11-17. This will be a week of awareness, activism, and community building.

Did you know?

  • About 75.5% of Black infants are breastfed compared to more than 85% of White and Latinx moms. (Source: CDC)
  • Among all infants, Black infants had a significantly lower rate of exclusive breastfeeding at age 3 months (39.3%) than did White infants (50.6%); at age 6 months, the rates of any breastfeeding were 49.3% among black infants and 60.0% among White infants. (Source: CDC)
  • Hospitals in areas with higher percentages of Black residents were less likely to provide recommended maternity care practices supportive of breastfeeding.(Source: CDC)

The #BMHW22 theme is “Building for Liberation: Centering Black Mamas, Black Families, and Black Systems of Care,” which reflects BMMA’s work in centering Black women’s scholarship, maternity care work, and advocacy across the full-spectrum of sexual, maternal, and reproductive health care, services, programs, and initiatives. Additionally, this theme reflects the critical need for learning about Black Feminist and womanist approaches in strengthening wellness structures within our communities and across the Diaspora as a revolutionary act in the pursuit of liberation, and in the global fight to END maternal mortality.

This week is intended to:

  • Deepen the national conversation about Black maternal health in the US;
  • Amplify community-driven policy, research, and care solutions;
  • Center the voices of Black Mamas, women, families, and stakeholders;
  • Provide a national platform for Black-led entities and efforts on maternal health, birth and reproductive justice; and
  • Enhance community organizing on Black maternal health.

The campaign and activities for Black Maternal Health Week serve to amplify the voices of Black mamas and center the values and traditions of the reproductive and birth justice movements.

This movement is led by Black Mamas Matter, and Breastfeed Durham is proud to support this important work.

#BMHW22 # BlackMamasMatter #BlackMaternalHealthWeek # BirthJustice #FirstFoodEquity