Feature Article: New U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Report: Racial Disparities in Maternal Health

New U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Report: Racial Disparities in Maternal Health

Published: October 4, 2021

On September 15, 2021, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights issued a new report entitled “Racial Disparities in Maternal Health.” The report was intended to evaluate the federal government’s role in addressing maternal health disparities with a focus on maternal mortality. The report comes among a flurry of recent federal, state, and local government efforts to address racial disparities in maternal health, including the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021, the Kira Johnson Act, the California Momnibus Act, several Perinatal Equity Initiatives funded by the California Department of Public Health, and San Francisco’s Abundant Birth Project. Various non-profit organizations are also attempting to address these disparities, including the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Mamatoto Village, and Black Mothers in Power).