by Shawn Nowlin
American scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson once said, “The truth is the truth whether people believe it or not.”
Black women in America are roughly four times more likely to die during childbirth than white women. Historically, Black women have experienced much higher rates of preeclampsia, hemorrhage and other pregnancy complications.
Speaking before a House subcommittee on Health earlier this year, Dr. Joia Crear-Perry, the Founder and Former President of the National Birth Equity Collaborative, said, “As a Black mother, I cannot buy or educate my way out of dying at three to four times the rate of a white woman in the US. The inequity in maternal mortality rates persists regardless of our income or education status. Racism is the risk factor, not Black skin. There is no ‘Black’ gene.”
“Birthing Justice” is a powerful PBS documentary that documents the tribulations and experiences of those on the frontlines of the black maternal healthcare crisis.
Tracking in at 96 minutes, the documentary was viewed on Nov. 29 at the Grandin Theatre. Both hopeful and deeply heart-wrenching, Nina Wright said the film “perfectly captures the challenges and experiences of Black women, their families and advocates while also examining the structures and systems that determine the disparity rates of mortality.”
Free to the public, the screening was presented by Birthing in Color in Virginia.
Maya Payne watched the film two more times at home to make sure she caught everything. “I love that the film honors those who lost their lives,” she said. “Heartbreaking childbirth stories happen more often than people realize. I learned so much from this documentary. I couldn’t recommend it more for others to see.”
Parker Jones took a nuanced approach to the documentary. “I was moved emotionally in ways that I haven’t experienced in a long time. I still feel that there are questions that need to be answered, but I still feel optimistic,” Jones said.
More than 100 people contributed to the documentary. The primary team consists of: writers and executive producers, Allyson Felix, Jacoba Atlas and Denise Pines; director, Monique Mathews; co-producers, Naomi Ranz-Schleifer and Sasheen Artis; supervising producer, Lia Carney and Director of Photography, Clare Major.
“Birthing Justice places Black women at the center of the fight to fix a broken problem. The documentary also talks about the progress being made in health initiatives and dedicated practitioners,” Pines said. “The goal of the film is to show that there are solutions and that these solutions can be replicated across the country.”
