Why Black Women Are Still Dying in Childbirth — The Truth About Black Maternal Health

Why Black Women Are Still Dying in Childbirth — The Truth About Black Maternal Health

From Blacktivities by Shannon Chatmon, Talisa Hale, and Karen Roberts

April 20, 2026 · 1h 6m · Season 8 · Episode 8

About this episode

This episode explores the alarming disparities in Black maternal health and discusses historical and contemporary factors contributing to these issues.

Black women are 2–3x more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women — and that gap exists regardless of income, education, or celebrity status. In this episode of Blacktivities, we trace the roots of the Black maternal health crisis from the experimental surgeries performed on enslaved women in the 1840s to the racial bias still showing up in delivery rooms today. Hosts Shannon and Mona Lisa are joined by Tanessa, a certified full-spectrum doula, for an honest, culturally grounded conversation about why Black women aren't being heard in healthcare — and what we can do about it. In this episode: The disturbing history of J. Marion Sims, the "father of modern gynecology," and the enslaved Black women his career was built on The weathering hypothesis — why Black women's bodies age faster biologically due to the cumulative stress of racism Why a college degree won't protect you: how provider bias affects Black women at every income level What a doula actually does — and why having one can reduce your C-section risk by up to 39% Lotus births, home births, water births, and birthing centers — your options beyond the hospital How to advocate for yourself if you can't…

People in this episode

Host: Shannon Chatmon

Guests: Mona Lisa, Tanessa

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Organizations: Blacktivities

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