ATLANTA — On Sunday night, a screening for a documentary about Black maternal mortality was held at Morehouse College.
It’s one of the many events being held that mark Black Maternal Health Week.
A Cobb County father is fighting to save babies and mothers during and after childbirth, after losing his own wife during childbirth.
Larissa Lane’s story is hard to hear. She’s a mother who lost her baby the day after he was born.
“He was born at 26 weeks through an emergency c-section, he was completely healthy and he passed away due to the errors of the doctors,” she said.
Charles Johnson said Lane’s story and the story of Black mothers dying during childbirth is one that is too familiar in the United States.
“The racial disparities within this maternal mortality crisis, African American woman are dying four times as often as their Caucasian counterparts,” he said. “My wife Kira unfortunately passed away giving birth to our second son Langston.”
Now Johnson is a widower and a father on a missing. He founded 4Kira4Moms to save lives.
The Morehouse College screening was for a documentary called The Ebony Canal, where they share stories like Lane’s.
Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis lent her voice to the movie.
“To have someone like Viola Davis stop everything to be a part of this fight is mind-blowing,” the movie’s director, Emmai Alaquiva said.
They’re hopeful that through education and resources, they can change the statistics.
4Kira4Moms is hosting a Black Maternal Health Panel Monday.
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