University Honors

In the proposed research, the correlation between racial/economic disparities and the highmaternal mortality rate among black women will be examined. Despite advancements inmedical technology and practices, maternal mortality rates in the US have more than doubled inthe past twenty years and black women are disproportionately affected the most. Researchshows that black women are 3 - 4 times more likely to die during childbirth compared to otherraces of women. One of the lingering results of institutionalized racism in the US is theeconomic disparities that have produced inadequate treatment and care for black communities.Due to decades of racial discrimination and biases, the wealth gap between black and whitefamilies remains very distant. Lack of access to resources like healthcare, insurance, housing,transportation, etc is because of the socio-economic issues within black communities that thegovernment has yet to provide proper solutions to. It’s important to note that black women,regardless of economic class, are often not believed or understood by medical professionalsleading to a mutual level of distrust. Data will be analyzed to provide insight into economicdifferences between black families and nonblack families and evaluate the various experiencesblack women endure during their childbearing experience compared to other races of women.This data will provide the necessary evidence showing the relation in the mortality rates of blackwomen during pregnancy. It is through this research that solutions can be raised, hopefullyresulting in an improvement of the preventable experiences pregnant black women face.