Strengthening advocacy for minority health

Through Daron Pressley

April 21, 2024

Hosts of The Mama’s Den podcast have honest conversations about motherhood, health, race and sexuality from a mother’s perspective.

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April is National Minority Health Month (NMHM). This annual celebration raises awareness about the health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities and encourages people to take action to end these disparities.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately one in four Americans, or 77 million people, have multiple chronic conditions. Spending on patients with various chronic conditions in the United States consumes 71% of all healthcare dollars across all settings.

Despite improvements in the nation’s overall health, racial and ethnic minorities experience lower quality of health care; they are less likely to receive routine medical care and face higher morbidity and mortality rates than nonminorities.

Singer Melanie Fiona, entrepreneur and influencer Felicia La Tour, writer Ashley Chea and CEO of Black Love, Inc. Codie Elaine Oliver created The Mama’s Den to have honest conversations about motherhood, health, race, sexuality, religion and dating. In an unfiltered community full of authentic conversations and experiences, the hosts share insights and information, all from a mother’s perspective.

In a recent conversation with BLACK ENTERPRISE, Fiona, La Tour, Chea and Oliver shed light on various aspects of Black maternal health, from disparities in medical care to the importance of mental health support.

Awareness A

For Fiona, NMHM represents an opportunity for collective action and awareness. She emphasizes the importance of using platforms such as social media to educate and engage communities, stating, “It is a time for people to be educated, to understand and hear what we say, and to listen to what we ask.”

Black individuals are more likely to experience barriers to timely medical care that are not directly related to healthcare costs, such as long wait times at the doctor’s office, inconvenient office hours and lack of transportation.

La Tour echoes Fiona’s sentiments, highlighting the vital role of advocacy in tackling inequalities within the medical sector. Drawing from her personal experiences and those of her friends, she emphasizes the urgency of raising awareness about issues such as barriers to care, preventable miscarriages, and medical malpractice. She states: “It’s just essential. I have close friends who have experienced multiple late miscarriages that could possibly have been prevented. It brings awareness to many of the disparities that occur in healthcare for Black women.”

Empowerment through education

Chea emphasizes the importance of empowerment and education in Black maternal health. She sees NMHM as an opportunity to create spaces where individuals feel empowered to make informed choices about their reproductive health. Chea says, “I look at it in hopes of creating spaces and content where we feel like we have options; we feel that there is no one way to do this, and that we can all share resources, including advancing healthcare equity, addressing underlying social disadvantages, and shedding light on algorithmic and artificial intelligence biases in healthcare.”

Healthcare algorithms and AI can increase disparities in healthcare outcomes among different demographic groups, such as those defined by race, ethnicity, gender, or age.

One factor contributing to bias in healthcare algorithms and AI is the lack of diversity in the datasets used for training. To mitigate this, it is critical to include data from a wide range of patients from different demographic backgrounds during the development of AI systems, ensuring equal performance across groups.

Oliver further emphasizes the role of education in inspiring change and healing within communities. She emphasizes the importance of sharing diverse birth experiences to empower women and families, stating, “It represents a collective time and space to bring healing and awareness. Historically, there has been distrust and underutilization of services by people of color, and the impact of racism on the delivery of health and mental health services. NMHM inspires change through collective action and community.”

Challenges and advocacy in medical care

Black women face many challenges within the healthcare system, especially in obstetric care. Fiona talks about her traumatic experience with an emergency caesarean section and subsequent struggle to stand up for herself during her second pregnancy. She highlights systemic biases and the need for personal care, stating, “Some women go to these meetings, offices and appointments where they are simply treated like a statistic.”

In 2007, a method known as the VBAC algorithm was introduced to help healthcare professionals evaluate the potential for a safe vaginal delivery after a cesarean section. This algorithm takes into account several factors, including the woman’s age, the indication for the previous cesarean section and the time elapsed since the procedure. However, one 2017 study revealed discrepancies in the accuracy of the original algorithm.

Fiona says: “The algorithm predicted that Black/African American women were less likely to have a successful vaginal birth after C-section than non-Hispanic white women. I opted for a VBAC for my second pregnancy and I encountered resistance from the start.”

When people go to a medical facility for help, they expect the doctor to make the right health decisions for optimal health and outcomes.

Chea reflects on her journey through medical neglect and misdiagnosis, highlighting the critical need to speak up and advocate for adequate care. Reflecting on her struggles with postpartum depression and an undiagnosed thyroid disease, she claims, “I had to stand up for myself to ensure proper care on a lasting basis.”

After a three-year battle that resulted in abnormal weight gain, diabetes and hospitalization, Chea finally received the right diagnosis to get back on a healthier track. “It just sucks because the doctors kept telling me it was something else.”

Role of allies and community support

It is paramount to have allies and community support in addressing the maternal health crisis by bringing community members together and working with trusted organizations to identify issues. Oliver emphasizes the need for collective action and support from partners, healthcare professionals and allies. She emphasizes the importance of listening to Black women and amplifying their voices in advocating for equitable health care.

“It is imperative for all of us – family, community and health organizations – to be aware and attentive,” Oliver emphasizes. “Public health and community-based entities have the opportunity to improve the well-being of their communities through initiatives aimed at addressing social determinants of health.”

The Mama’s Den provides a platform for authentic conversations and experiences surrounding minority health and Black maternal health. By sharing personal stories, advocating for change and promoting community support, Fiona, La Tour, Chea and Oliver exemplify resilience and empowerment as they navigate the complexities of health and motherhood.

The change I want to create, even on a larger scale in our community through my nonprofit, is for bills to be passed and laws to be changed,” La Tour emphasizes. “Support what I’m doing, what Elaine, Melanie and Ashley are doing, or what someone you know is doing. Stand in line and support, whether that be physical or financial support.”

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