In the U.S., Black women are more than three times as likely to die during childbirth as white women. In the U.K., Black women are more than twice as likely to die in childbirth, and babies born to Black mothers are at an increased risk of stillbirth. Here in Canada, stats to better understand health outcomes for Black mothers aren't even available. While there are provinces in Canada that collect race-based data, historically, this country hasn't tracked health outcomes by race, which means the picture for what Black maternal health looks like across the country is unclear. However, if statistics from other jurisdictions are any indication, birthing and pregnancy are a greater risk to Black mothers, no matter where they live or what their socioeconomic background is. On this episode, we speak with Jennifer Dockery and Jenelle Ambrose Dash about the work that the Black Maternal Health Collective is doing, including Toronto's Black Maternal Health Week taking place April 11-17th. We also talk about accountability, the concerns of collecting race-based data in Canada, and what action looks like.

Got a question or comment? Email us at: mistreatedpodcast@tvo.org

If you, or someone you know, is struggling with mental health, visit any of the following resources for support: Canada.ca/mental-health Kids Help Phone Call 1-800-668-6868 (toll-free) or text CONNECT to 686868.

Research links:

1. The weathering hypothesis and the health of African-American women and infants: evidence and speculations
   https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1467758/
2. Weathering” and Age Patterns of Allostatic Load Scores Among Blacks and Whites in the United States
   https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1470581/
3. Black Women Excluded from Critical Studies Due to ‘Weathering’
   https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/black-women-excluded-from-critical-studies-due-to-weathering/
4. Childbirth Is Deadlier for Black Families Even When They’re Rich, Expansive Study Finds
   https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/02/12/upshot/child-maternal-mortality-rich-poor.html
5. Black midwife's death highlights racial gap in maternal mortality
   https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/black-midwifes-death-highlights-racial-gap-in-maternal-mortality
6. "Colorblind Care" Is Costing Lives. Meet The Woman Who Started Toronto’s First Black Maternal Health Week To Change That
   https://www.essence.com/news/toronto-first-black-maternal-health-week/
7. Racial variations of adverse perinatal outcomes: A population-based retrospective cohort study in Ontario, Canada
   https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9246499/
8. Black Maternal Morbidity and Mortality
   https://www.bornontario.ca/initiatives-resources/health-equity-and-indigenous-health/black-maternal-morbidity-and-mortality/ 
9. Beyonce opens up about pregnancy complications with twins
   https://abcnews.com/GMA/Culture/beyonce-opens-pregnancy-complications-twins/story?id=62480855 
10. Serena Williams: What my life-threatening experience taught me about giving birth
    https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/20/opinions/protect-mother-pregnancy-williams-opinion
11. Systemic racism affects maternity care for black women in England, say MPs
    https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/sep/17/systemic-racism-affects-maternity-care-for-black-women-in-england-say-mps
12. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/u-s-maternal-deaths-more-than-doubled-over-20-years-heres-who-fared-the-worst
13. https://www.npr.org/2024/05/28/nx-s1-4977627/rachel-somerstein-invisible-labor-c-section
14. https://sph.umich.edu/pursuit/2020posts/state-of-maternal-mortality-the-inequitable-burden-on-black-mothers.html
15. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667193X22002253
16. https://www.communitysolutions.com/resources/medical-bias-weathering-deadly-impact-black-mothers
17. https://nationalpost.com/news/maternal-death-injury-in-canada
18. https://www.cbc.ca/documentaries/i-made-a-documentary-about-the-black-maternal-health-crisis-then-i-experienced-it-1.7101607
19. https://www.cdc.gov/womens-health/features/maternal-mortality.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/healthequity/features/maternal-mortality/index.html
20. https://www.mckinsey.com/institute-for-economic-mobility/our-insights/closing-the-black-maternal-health-gap-healthier-lives-stronger-economies
21. https://www.milwaukeeindependent.com/newswire/black-maternal-mortality-rate-reaches-3-5-times-white-women-racial-gap-childbirth-widens/