Hair brand Carol’s Daughter recently announced the launch of their campaign dedicated to highlighting the rising cases of health issues amongst Black mothers.
Known as the Birthing While Black campaign, the new initiative focuses on sharing the experiences of Black mothers through social media. With each story shared on social media, the company will donate to the Mama Glow Foundation to help provide doula support to women that are in need of it. The campaign will continue to roll out new activities as part of the Birthing While Black initiative throughout the year.
The new Birthing While Black campaign is part of Carol’s Daughter and Mama Glow’s larger initiative, “Love Delivered.” Now in its third year, the initiative has reached over 190,000 people through its work. Throughout its time, the company has provided support through doula grants, education services and events.
“While the recent statistics are alarming and sobering, they only serve to further fuel our drive and commitment to this cause,” said Lisa Price, the founder of Carol’s Daughter, in a statement. “The work of birthing people should only be the work of giving birth and that experience being as beautiful as it can be. Our work is to advocate for them to have what they deserve.”
The Birthing While Black Campaign was announced in the midst of Black Maternal Health Week. From April 11 to April 17, the week raises awareness of the disparities that Black women face as mothers in the U.S.
In recent years, the crisis around Black maternal mortality rates has continued to grow. According to the latest report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Black women are three times more likely than white women to pass away from pregnancy complications.
The increase in the mortality rate was significant in 2021; according to a report by the National Center for Health Statistics, more than 1,200 mothers died in pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. The number was a sharp increase from the previous year, going up by 40% from the number of deaths in 2020. Of these deaths, Black mothers passed away at an average rate of 69.9 deaths per every 100,000 people; the rate was more than any other racial or ethnic group.
In data released by the CDC, they found that, overall, 84% of deaths from pregnancy-related complications were preventable.
Contributing to the higher mortality rate amongst Black mothers are factors such as racial bias, structural racism and lower quality of healthcare, according to the CDC.
