SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – Thursday’s Savannah City Council meeting was filled with a sea of green and pink for AKA Day, honoring Alpha Kappa Alpha.
But the sorority turned its attention to a deep issue.
April 11-17 is Black Maternal Health Week, calling for reproductive justice.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than white women. Multiple factors contribute to this, including variations in quality health care, underlying chronic conditions, structural racism and implicit bias.
Kim Dubois is one of the members of the Gamma Sigma Omega chapter of AKA. She says Black women need to be listened to when they say something isn’t feeling right with their pregnancy.
“You could lose your life doing the most natural thing that women can do,” Dubois said. “Those disparities are really unacceptable.”
She has been an advocate for the issue for many years and shared some of the testimonies she has heard from friends.
“Many talked about the fact that they experienced that and just sort of put it behind them… just as women typically do. They just moved forward. But, it is a serious issue, and they felt very just lucky to have escaped and to have survived,” she said.
The chapter is calling for action from lawmakers to move forward with Momnibus Act, which would fund local organizations that already protect mothers of color. The act hasn’t moved forward since 2021.
“There has to be accountability. There has to be commitment. The problem won’t go away on its own. We have to work at it,” said Dubois. “Evidence-based policy solutions are the only way…. and, of course, awareness, education and advocacy.”
Mayor Van Johnson applauded the sorority for its dedication to this issue: “We can drive these numbers down, but we have to call a thing a thing first. And y’all called a thing a thing. Thank you so much.”