| R 220 |
| 2025 -- S 0965 Enacted 04/10/2025 |
| S E N A T E R E S O L U T I O N |
| COMMEMORATING "BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH WEEK" ON APRIL 11TH - 17TH, 2025, IN THE STATE OF RHODE ISLAND |
Introduced By: Senator Tiara T. Mack |
| Date Introduced: April 10, 2025 |
| WHEREAS, This year marks the eighth annual "Black Maternal Health Week" which |
| was founded and is led by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance; and |
| WHEREAS, The week is observed across the country in order to raise awareness for |
| Black maternal health by enhancing the dialogue, increasing community involvement, and |
| promoting solutions, policies, and research; and |
| WHEREAS, Disproportionately, Black women are 50 percent more likely than all other |
| women to give birth to premature, low birthweight, and very low birthweight infants with the |
| leading causes of maternal mortality among Black women and birthing persons including |
| eclampsia, preeclampsia, postpartum cardiomyopathy, and obstetric embolism; and |
| WHEREAS, The high rates of maternal mortality impacting Black women and birthing |
| people span across three major factors, income levels, education levels, and socioeconomic status |
| with structural racism, gender oppression, and the social determinants of health inequities |
| experienced by Black women in the United States significantly contributing to the |
| disproportionately high rates and playing a consequential role in maternal health care experiences |
| and outcomes of Black birthing people; and |
| WHEREAS, In order to improve maternal health outcomes for Black women, systemic |
| change in maternal health care that ensures that the methods used to address implicit bias and |
| racism align with Black women’s needs, values, and preferences and address the ways in which |
| health care systems perpetuate inequality is essential; and |
| WHEREAS, The Associate Director of the Office of Research on Women's Health stated, |
| “Understanding the variations in experiences across socioecological domains between white and |
| minority women in the United States is important in developing more effective policies and |
| programs to reduce racial disparities in MMM [maternal morbidity and mortality] and, ultimately, |
| save mothers”; now, therefore be it |
| RESOLVED, That this Senate of the State of Rhode Island hereby commemorates "Black |
| Maternal Health Week" on April 11th - 17th, 2025, and urges all Rhode Islanders to advocate for |
| effective policies, and solutions to eliminate racism, bias, and inequities in maternal care; and be |
| it further |
| RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to |
| transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the Black Mamas Matter Alliance. |
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| LC002763 |
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