2025 -- S 0965
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LC002763
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S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
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S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N
COMMEMORATING "BLACK MATERNAL HEAL TH WEEK" ON APRIL 11TH - 17TH,
2025, IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
Introduced By: Senator Tiara T. Mack
Date Introduced: April 10, 2025
Referred To: Recommended for Immediate Consideration
WHEREAS, This year marks the eighth annual "Black Maternal Health Week" which 1
was founded and is led by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance; and 2
WHEREAS, The week is observed across the country in order to raise awareness for 3
Black maternal health by enhancing the dialogue, increasing community involvement, and 4
promoting solutions, policies, and research; and 5
WHEREAS, Disproportionately, Black women are 50 percent more likely than all other 6
women to give birth to premature, low birthweight, and very low birthweight infants with the 7
leading causes of maternal mortality among Black women and birthing persons including 8
eclampsia, preeclampsia, postpartum cardiomyopathy, and obstetric embolism; and 9
WHEREAS, The high rates of maternal mortality impacting Black women and birthing 10
people span across three major factors, income levels, education levels, and socioeconomic status 11
with structural racism, gender oppression, and the social determinants of health inequities 12
experienced by Black women in the United States significantly contributing to the 13
disproportionately high rates and playing a consequential role in maternal health care experiences 14
and outcomes of Black birthing people; and 15
WHEREAS, In order to improve maternal health outcomes for Black women, systemic 16
change in maternal health care that ensures that the methods used to address implicit bias and 17
racism align with Black women’s needs, values, and preferences and address the ways in which 18
health care systems perpetuate inequality is essential; and 19
LC002763 - Page 2 of 2
WHEREAS, The Associate Director of the Office of Research on Women's Health stated, 1
“Understanding the variations in experiences across socioecological domains between white and 2
minority women in the United States is important in developing more effective policies and 3
programs to reduce racial disparities in MMM [maternal morbidity and mortality] and, ultimately, 4
save mothers”; now, therefore be it 5
RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island hereby commemorates "Black 6
Maternal Health Week" on April 11th - 17th, 2025, and urges all Rhode Islanders to advocate for 7
effective policies, and solutions to eliminate racism, bias, and inequities in maternal care; and be 8
it further 9
RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to 10
transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the Black Mamas Matter Alliance. 11
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LC002763
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