NCT Charity’s Post

In the US, Black women are 3-4 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than White women. And even worse is the fact that in most cases… it could have been avoided. As a nonprofit consultant, I am exposed to various focus areas ranging from emergency preparedness to economic mobility. But there are a few that always resonate with me… And Black Maternal Health is one of them. My home state, New Jersey, has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the country. Recently a bill has been passed that ensures pregnant mothers have access to doulas in hospitals & birthing centers. I hope we can see more positive steps forward like this. With today being the start of Black Maternal Health Week, I wanted to share 3 ways we can all make a difference. And shine a light on non-profit organizations working to support Black mothers ⤵️ 1️⃣ Understand why there are differences in the health of Black mothers and what causes them. 2️⃣ Amplify Black mothers and activists’ voices by sharing their stories and experiences. 3️⃣ Support & donate to organizations focused on improving Black maternal health outcomes. These are 6 examples of organizations that are doing incredible things: 💜 Perinatal Health Equity Initiative 💜 Ancient Song 💜 SisterSong 💜 National Birth Equity Collaborative 💜 Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Inc. (BMMA) 💜 National Perinatal Task Force The statistics speak for themselves. We need to work towards a future where every mother, regardless of race, receives the care and support she deserves!

https://lnkd.in/eXpD4xfT Throughout my tenure on the Durham County Board of Commissioners, I have championed initiatives to address this crisis. Since that first year we've invested in programs that provide culturally competent prenatal care, doula services, and mental health support for Black mothers. We've partnered with local hospitals to implement implicit bias training and improve communication with Black patients. At the county, I have advocated for significant investments in culturally competent non-profits, blood pressure cuffs, sonograms and lactations stations. The persistence of racial disparities in maternal health underscores the need for a comprehensive, multi-layered approach that addresses the social determinants of health, including poverty, housing, education, and access to care. It also highlights the importance of listening to and amplifying the voices of Black women, who are the experts of their own experiences and must be central to any solution. We need to tackle the social determinants of health that contribute to these disparities. Affordable housing, access to healthy food, and transportation – these are all essential for a healthy pregnancy. We're working with community organizations to address these issues, but we need continued support from our residents and state and federal partners. Educate ourselves: Learn about the challenges Black mothers face and the resources available to support them. Demand change: Advocate for policies that address the social determinants of health and ensure equitable access to quality care. Support Black-led organizations: Invest in organizations working on the ground to improve Black maternal health outcomes. There are many to choose from in Durham. From Equity Before Birth to Maame and More. By working together, we can create a Durham County where every mother, regardless of race, has the opportunity for a healthy pregnancy and a happy future for her child.

Why Black Maternal Awareness Week Matters** 🌟 In the ongoing conversation about maternal health, a glaring concern is at forefront: the disproportionate challenges faced by Black mothers. In response, the UK embraces Black Maternal Awareness Week—an essential initiative dedicated to addressing systemic disparities in maternal healthcare. 💪 5 X More joins forces with Black-led organizations and healthcare professionals for a weeklong campaign, advocating for change through parliamentary lobbying and empowering Black mothers led by Atinuke Awe and Clotilde Rebecca Abe 🌱 The genesis of Five X More stems from personal experiences, aiming to address disparities rooted in systemic racism and inequality within healthcare systems. 📢 Black Maternal Awareness Week amplifies voices, sparks dialogue, and drives policy reforms, aiming for a future where every mother receives equitable care. 👩⚕️ Education on cultural competency and implicit bias empowers healthcare providers to mitigate disparities and foster equitable. This should be everyone's business. #BlackMaternalHealth #HealthEquity 🌍 Read more 👇🏾 https://lnkd.in/ehuYNC9p

The impact and feedback is clear: doula support significantly improves birth outcomes, particularly for Black mothers. Doulas can provide crucial knowledge and advocacy to navigate challenges such as Preeclampsia. Fellow birth workers, check out the @Preeclampsia Foundation for helpful tools to incorporate into client education. Fellow advocates check out their Take 10 campaign asking for just 10 minutes to join the registry and share stories. This will help ensure Black moms are well-represented in research, empowered with information, and equipped to have healthy pregnancies. https://lnkd.in/eWgwX_Wq Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/e35VBmUH

Today is the first day of Black Maternal Health Week 2024, an initiative by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, and the theme is ‘Our Bodies STILL Belong to Us: Reproductive Justice NOW!’ We would like to highlight an important paper by Rochelle Maurice, who reminisces how her family members advised Black women to bawl as loudly as possible during childbirth, in order to be heard and avoid being neglected at this crucial time. It explores how Black women have been historically subjected to racism, abuse, and violence, hence receiving less than ideal maternal care. Although efforts to tackle anti-Black racism in healthcare have increased over time through medical education and discussions on the challenges Black people face in healthcare, there are limited documented efforts and data to address these on a large scale. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/dEkcJ7eP

Today is Today is World Day for International Justice.⚖ Here’s a list of influential nonprofits dedicated to supporting Black individuals in their quest for justice: ⚖NAACP - Champions equality LinkedIn: NAACP ⚖Color of Change - Mobilizes its members to fight racism. 📱LinkedIn: Color of Change ⚖Black Youth Project - Addresses the needs of Black millennials through activism and scholarly work. 📱LinkedIn: Black Youth Project ⚖ACLU - Defends and preserves individual rights and liberties, including fighting racial injustice. 📱LinkedIn: ACLU ⚖Know Your Rights Camp - Provides education on legal rights to youth of color. 📱LinkedIn: Know Your Rights Camp ⚖Black Lives Matter - Works to stop violence inflicted on Black communities. 📱LinkedIn: Black Lives Matter ⚖BEAM - Aims to remove the barriers to mental health care within Black communities. 📱LinkedIn: BEAM #justice #justiceforall #nonprofitwork #socialjustice #communityimpact #nonprofits #blackcommunity #positivechange #beyondexisting #theurbannonprofit

This #BlackHistoryMonth we’re shining a light on our partnership with Black Women Rising UK, founded by award-winning campaigner Leanne Pero OBE. Black Women Rising offers culturally sensitive support, information and advice for women of colour with a cancer diagnosis (including those 18+). Partnering with Black Women Rising has helped Young Lives vs Cancer to strengthen the support we offer to young people of colour. It means: - Young people of colour can access specialist support and resources, like online support groups, coffee mornings, an under 40’s meet-up and workshops, a podcast, magazines and a nurse support line. - Our specialist social workers can access training, resources and professional insight that Black Women Rising can offer to our teams. - Young Lives vs Cancer can reach more women of colour as Black Women Rising refer and signpost to our specialist support - We can work together to better reach and support our communities. For example, holding Q&A sessions for young people of colour together. Please give Black Women Rising UK a follow to find out more. At Young Lives vs Cancer we’re committed to shaping the system to ensure that every young person with cancer receives personalised and compassionate care. We believe we should always be shining a light on the stories of people of colour, not just during Black History Month.

Reminder: Apply now for the Black Opportunity Fund x TD Ready Commitment Justice Grant Program, in partnership with The Law Foundation of Ontario! This national grant program supports Canadian Black-led, Black-serving, Black-focused (B3s) community organizations.    The application deadline is fast approaching—submit your application by January 23rd, 2025! BOF encourages applications from all regions in Canada.     The Justice Grant Program focuses on supporting programs and services in these priority areas:  - Reintegration Programs: Helping individuals re-enter society after involvement in the justice system.  - Prevention and Supports: Reducing the risk of incarceration.  - Mental Health and Well-being Supports: Providing access to tools for healing, self-advocacy, and mental health care.  - Legal System Reform & Equity: Advocating for legal system reform and expanding access to legal services within Black communities.  - Addressing Racial Discrimination & Inequality: Challenging racial discrimination and inequality in the justice system.  - Educational Programs & Policy Advocacy: Educating the community and driving long-term policy change for justice and equality.  - Empowerment through Justice Engagement: Empowering Black individuals to thrive within the justice system.    To be eligible, your organization must be a “B3”: a Black-led, Black-focused, and Black-serving organization. This means at least two-thirds of your organization’s leadership must self-identify as Black, and a significant portion of your program activities must prioritize Black communities in Canada. Other eligibility requirements include:  - Your organization must be a registered Canadian not-for-profit organization or charity.  - Have an existing or proposed project in the justice space that meets the grant criteria.  - Maintain an online web presence (e.g., website, social media).  - Be able to provide up-to-date financial records (audited or unaudited within the past two years, accompanied by a tax return and/or bank statements).  - Provide a project budget for the initiative seeking funding.     For more details on the application process and to apply, visit our website: https://lnkd.in/gAWNtJQP

This week of Juneteenth, I encourage everyone to do three things: 1. Plan a trip to Montgomery, Alabama to visit the Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Museum and National Memorial for Peace & Justice. In 2019, I visited with a group of lawyers, organizational leaders, and advocates working for racial justice to better understand the historic context of slavery, lynching, and anti-Black racism (including its pervasive, contemporary, and enduring systematic impacts). This year, staff from across my organization got to take this same trip. We all came back grounded in a history that many of us never learned in school. 2. This leads to my second suggestion, take some time to learn about the Alliance for Reparations, Reconciliation, and Truth (ARRT) (alliancefor.org), a new multiracial coalition taking action to address the harms of persistent denial of access to basic rights and resources. Here’s an example, the GI Bill was one significant way white Americans built generational wealth (https://n.pr/3RCQTWH) after WW II, when Black war veterans tried to buy homes or access education they were stonewalled (https://lnkd.in/g8unhJVi). Given this history, it’s not surprising that Black homeownership is at 44% while White homeownership is over 72%. My organization, Asian Law Caucus, is working with ARRT to address these systemic harms. 3. The third suggestion is for my Asian American immigrant colleagues and friends: talk about anti-Blackness with your community and understand the link between the civil rights movement and the ability of our families to enter post-1965. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 was passed months after the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Black civil rights leaders paved the way for Asian American communities’ inclusion in the U.S (https://bit.ly/4eqRR2d). Without the activism of the Black community, many of us would not be here. #Juneteenth #BlackHistory #CivilRights #Alabama #SocialJustice #Leadership #Reparations #DiversityandInclusion #CivilRightsAct

When it comes to healthcare, advocacy is key. Black women often face delays in care, but speaking up ensures they get the treatment they deserve. Whether it’s from community members, institutions, or patients themselves, advocacy ensures timely, equitable, and effective care. Advocacy isn’t just about health; it’s about building a supportive community that strengthens everyone involved. Katrece Nolen exemplifies the power of advocacy. Diagnosed with Stage III Inflammatory Breast Cancer in 2013, Katrece’s journey to survival was fueled by her determination to advocate for her health. From demanding timely appointments to ensuring she received the right tests, she learned firsthand the importance of speaking up. Now, as a 10-year cancer survivor, Katrece dedicates her life to empowering other women, particularly Black women, to take control of their cancer journeys. Her story is a powerful reminder that self-advocacy can change the course of a cancer journey. By speaking up and demanding equitable treatment, Black women can take control of their health and inspire others to do the same. Let Katrece’s story inspire us all to advocate—for ourselves, for others, and for a future where everyone receives the competent care they deserve.