Governor Proclaims Black Maternal Health Week 2023

WHEREAS, the sixth National Black Maternal Health Week (BMHW) campaign, founded and led by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance (BMMA), is a week of awareness, activism, and community building; and

WHEREAS, BMHW is intended to increase awareness of the state of Black maternal health in the United States, the root causes of poor maternal health outcomes, and community-driven policy, program, and care solutions; and

WHEREAS, the National Black Maternal Health Week 2023 theme, “Our Bodies Belong to Us: Restoring Black Autonomy and Joy,” 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; and

WHEREAS, in addition, it serves as a national platform for Black women-led entities and efforts on maternal health, birth justice, and reproductive justice, including African immigrant and Afro Latin groups; and to enhance community organizing on Black maternal health via community conversations, events, and outreach; and

WHEREAS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women in the United States are 2.6 times more likely than White women to die from pregnancy-related causes; and

WHEREAS, Black women in the United States suffer from life-threatening pregnancy complications, known as “maternal morbidities,” twice as often as White women; and

WHEREAS, COVID-19 dramatically worsened the U.S. maternal mortality crisis in which maternal death rates increased by 40 percent in 2021 compared to a year prior; and

WHEREAS, a fair and wide distribution of resources and birth options, especially with regard to reproductive health care services and maternal health programming, is critical to closing the racial gap in maternal health outcomes; and

WHEREAS, the State of North Carolina urges individuals and organizations across our state to spread awareness of Black maternal health and the importance of reducing maternal mortality and morbidity among Black women and birthing persons;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim April 11 – 17, 2023, as “BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH WEEK” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.