U.S. Representative Shontel Brown is renewing urgent calls to address the maternal health crisis disproportionately affecting Black women, warning that systemic failures in healthcare continue to put lives at risk.
Speaking in a video shared on social media to mark Black Maternal Health Week, Brown stressed that Black women remain among the most vulnerable in the U.S. healthcare system due to longstanding disparities in treatment, access, and outcomes.
“This Black Maternal Health Week let us recommit ourselves to addressing the maternal health crisis and its disproportionate impact on Black women. We can and should do better,” she said.
A Crisis Rooted in Inequality
Brown pointed to what she described as a persistent pattern of the healthcare system failing to listen to Black women—resulting in higher rates of pregnancy complications, reproductive health challenges, and preventable deaths.
She noted that many Black women approach medical care cautiously, often feeling unheard or dismissed, a dynamic that experts say contributes to delayed diagnoses and poorer outcomes.
Health data in the United States consistently show that Black women are significantly more likely to experience maternal mortality and severe pregnancy-related complications than their white counterparts.
Legislative Efforts Target Key Gaps
As part of her push for reform, Brown highlighted her proposed Uterine Fibroid Intervention and Treatment (U-FIGHT) Act, which would establish the first federal funding stream dedicated to research and treatment of uterine fibroids, a condition that disproportionately affects Black women and can lead to pain, infertility, and pregnancy complications.
She argued that targeted legislation is essential to addressing the root causes of these disparities.
Call to Action Beyond Policy
Brown also urged the public to take an active role during Black Maternal Health Week by:
- Educating themselves about the challenges Black women face
- Supporting organizations working to improve maternal health outcomes
- Amplifying awareness to drive national attention
“This week of awareness is needed in our country,” she said, stressing that change requires both policy reform and collective action.
An Urgent Public Health Priority
Black Maternal Health Week continues to spotlight inequities in maternal care and push for systemic change across the healthcare system.
Brown’s remarks reinforce a growing consensus among advocates and policymakers: without deliberate and sustained intervention, Black women will continue to bear the brunt of a preventable and ongoing public health crisis.
