Brooklyn-based nonprofit Camba is looking to address the disproportionate maternal mortality rates in the Black community and held a Black maternal health summit at the CUNY Graduate Center to fight back against what they call a preventable crisis.
Black mothers are 12 times more likely to die during childbirth than white mothers, according to the New York City Department of Health.
Organizers with Camba planned a day stacked with guest speakers and presentations that covered mental health, navigating health disparities, and bridging the gap. Camba says they hope the summit will provide people with the tools to navigate the health care system and its inequalities.
The keynote speaker, licensed practitioner Shawnee Benton-Gibson, lost her daughter in 2019 while she was giving birth.