2023 -- S 0680
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LC002479
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S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
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S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N
RECOGNIZING MARCH 14, 2023, AS "BLACK MIDWIVES DAY" TO SHED LIGHT ON
THE HISTORY, POLITICS, CULTURE, AND IDENTITY OF BLACK MIDWIFERY IN THE
CONTEXT OF A NATIONAL CONVERSATION ABOUT MATERNAL HEALTH, AND THE
IMPORTANCE OF MIDWIF ERY CARE AS AN ESSENTIAL STRATEGY IN REDUCING
MATERNAL MORTALITY AND MORBIDITY AMONG BLAC K BIRTHING PEOPLE
Introduced By: Senator Tiara T. Mack
Date Introduced: March 16, 2023
Referred To: Recommended for Immediate Consideration
WHEREAS, Recognizing the day of March 14, 2023, as “Black Midwives Day” 1
underscores the importance of midwifery in helping to achieve better maternal health outcomes 2
by addressing fundamental gaps in access to high quality care and multiple aspects of well-being; 3
and 4
WHEREAS, The inaugural Black Midwives Day (BMD) campaign, founded and led by 5
the National Black Midwives Alliance in 2023, is a day of awareness, activism, education and 6
community building; and 7
WHEREAS, This day is intended to increase attention for the state of Black maternal 8
health in the United States, the root causes of poor maternal health outcomes, and for community-9
driven policy, program, and care solutions; and 10
WHEREAS, In addition, BMD venerates the work and contributions of past and present 11
midwives who have served to usher in new life despite a history fraught with persecution, 12
enslavement, violence, racism and the systematic erasure of community Black midwives 13
throughout the 20th century; and 14
WHEREAS, The decimation of midwifery across the Southern United States reduced the 15
numbers of Black midwives from thousands to dozens in a 50 year period from the 1920s to the 16
1970s, leaving many communities without care providers; and 17
WHEREAS, The resurgence of Black midwifery is a testament to the resilience, 18
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resistance, and determination of spirit in the preservation of healing modalities that are practiced 1
all over the world. The focus on holistic care, which involves caring for the whole person, family 2
and community, is what makes a difference in midwifery; and 3
WHEREAS, Midwifery honors a birthing person’s right to bodily autonomy; can be 4
facilitated at home, in a birth center, or hospital; and works in tandem with doulas, community 5
health workers, obstetricians, pediatricians, and other health care providers; and 6
WHEREAS, Black families benefit from access to Black midwives to receive culturally 7
sensitive and congruent care established through trust and respect; backed with the wisdom of 8
time honored technique and best practices; and 9
WHEREAS, Black birthing people in the United States suffer from life threatening 10
pregnancy complications, known as “maternal morbidities”, twice as often as white birthing 11
people; and 12
WHEREAS, Maternal mortality rates in the United States are among the highest in the 13
developed world, and increasing rapidly; and 14
WHEREAS, These deaths have devastating effects on Black children and families, and 15
the vast majority is entirely preventable through assertive efforts to ensure Black birthing people 16
have access to information, services, and supports to make their own health care decisions 17
particularly around pregnancy and childbearing; and 18
WHEREAS, The high rates of maternal mortality among Black birthing people span 19
across income levels, education levels, and socioeconomic status; and 20
WHEREAS, Structural racism, gender oppression, and the social determinants of health 21
inequities experienced by Black birthing people in the United States significantly contribute to 22
the disproportionately high rates of maternal mortality and morbidity among Black birthing 23
people; and 24
WHEREAS, A fair distribution of resources, especially with regard to reproductive 25
health care services, is critical to closing the racial disparity gap; and 26
WHEREAS, Justice-informed, culturally congruent models such as midwifery care are 27
beneficial to Black birthing people; and 28
WHEREAS, An investment must be made in robust, quality and comprehensive health 29
care for Black birthing people, and policies that support and promote affordable, holistic maternal 30
health care that is free from gender and racial discrimination: and 31
WHEREAS, The National Black Midwives Alliance is campaigning for a Black 32
Midwives Day: To strengthen the base of Black midwives and their supporters; 33
To preserve the cultural history of Black midwifery as an important part of the story of 34
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America; 1
To provide advocacy tools that eliminate barriers to education and resources for Black 2
midwives; 3
To build power by developing a national unified voice that advocates for Black 4
midwifery; 5
To address perinatal health disparities that impact Black communities; and 6
To elevate the consumer demand for access to midwifery and community birth; and 7
WHEREAS, It is fitting and proper on Black Midwives Day to recognize the tremendous 8
impact of human rights, reproductive justice, and birth justice frameworks; and 9
WHEREAS, Black Midwives Day is an opportunity to fight to end maternal mortality 10
locally and globally; now, therefore be it 11
RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island hereby believes that in order 12
to better mitigate the effects of systemic and structural racism, this body must work to ensure that 13
all Black people have access to midwives, doulas and other community-based, culturally-matched 14
perinatal health providers; and be it further 15
RESOLVED, That this Senate hereby proclaims March 14, 2023, to be “Black Midwives 16
Day” in the State of Rhode Island; and be it further 17
RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to 18
transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Ms. Jamarah Amani, Director, National Black 19
Midwives Alliance. 20
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LC002479
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