Last week, we partnered with @chamberofmothers to bring more awareness around the Momnibus Act in Washington D.C.
This legislation would not only expand paid leave, and offer support to mothers everywhere, but it would save lives! Black women are three to four times more likely to die during childbirth, due to medical racism and we stand with these moms and all moms to advocate for getting the support and care they need and deserve.
We also interviewed Erin Erenberg, the founder of Chamber of Mothers, to learn more about the Momnibus Act and how we can help.
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Tell me about Momnibus! What is it? Why did it start? What is the goal? Who is involved?
To summarize, the Black Maternal Health Momnibus (H.R. 3305/S. 1606) is a collection of thirteen bills sponsored by Black Maternal Health Caucus members led by Representative Lauren Underwood (D.,IL) and Alma Adams (D.,NC). The legislation aims to save moms’ lives by directing multi-agency efforts to improve maternal health, particularly among racial and ethnic minority groups, veterans, and other vulnerable populations. The legislation will make critical investments in at-risk moms by giving them additional resources for housing, transportation, and nutrition – all areas that strongly influence maternal health outcomes.
This legislation is now simply referred to as the “Momnibus” to underscore that maternal health improvements will help all American mothers. At Chamber of Mothers, one of our board members often reminds us that when you solve the problem for single Black mothers in America, you solve the problem for all Americans. It’s in this spirit that we advocate for this collection of bills alongside our advocacy for paid family and medical leave and affordable childcare for all Americans.
Since Momnibus, has there been progress in the area of black maternal health? What are some ways we still need to make progress?
The U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate of any high-income country, and that rate has more than doubled over the past two decades (1) —in stark contrast to global rates, which have declined. Fortunately, more than 80 percent of maternal deaths are preventable (2), which means Congress has the ability to drastically improve maternal health outcomes by passing this legislation.
Though significant disparities exist for women of color, with Black and Indigenous women dying at rates of 2 to 3 times that of white women (3), American women of all racial and ethnic backgrounds, and in both urban and rural areas, are impacted by this crisis. In fact, maternal mortality rates have nearly tripled in the past 20 years in the South and nearly quintupled in the Midwest.
One bill has been passed so far, but there are many more that must be passed. The bill that has passed is the Protecting Moms who Served Act, which addresses maternal deaths among military veterans, signed by President Biden in 2021.
Can you give a recap of the roundtable discussion day? What topics were discussed? Were there any memorable moments?
Our interactive discussion was focused on a time honored adage that my cofounder and dear friend Raena Boston, a Black mom of three, suggested we anchor into: with great privilege comes great responsibility. The people attending this event are in the business of offering mothers products, resources, and policies that can make a mother’s journey easier and better supported.
With that privilege comes a responsibility to ensure that the mothers with the least amount of support are seen, heard, valued, and nurtured.
With that in mind, our friends at LUMO Leadership facilitated a session that led to every single attendee completing the following sentence, signing their names, and writing their commitment on a poster board being shared in traditional and social media. The sentence we all completed is:
My name is ________________ , and I will use my work at __________________ to help ______________. I’m joining the Chamber of Mothers to ________________________ this election year.
On the way to writing that commitment, we were led to examine what we say we believe versus what we actually do. Together, in community, we committed to stay engaged in advocacy for Black American mothers, for all American mothers.
How can people get involved and help make a difference in the area of black maternal mental health?
You can follow along @chamberofmothers on Instagram, text MOTHER to 26797 to register to vote, and get up to speed on information you need to VOTE LIKE A MOTHER® this election, and you can join or support us at www.chamberofmothers.com. There, we’ll give you clear action items to help pass the Momnibus and use your voice, dollars, and vote to create a better America for moms to live in now and to bestow upon future generations.
Chamber of Mothers is an all volunteer organization, mothers working in between the cracks of care and paid work to sustain and grow this movement. We would greatly appreciate your support. Click here to join the Matriarchy.
