2026 Equal Justice Conference

In the United States women of all races and ages are dying at the highest rate in the developed world and the crisis is most severe for Black women and birthing people who are 3-4 times more likely to die from pregnancy related causes than their white counterparts across all income and education levels. The racial disparities in our US maternal mortality rates are clearly captured in international, national, and state data. Yet, new federal actions threaten our ability to capture and report this data and ultimately provide justice amidst this healthcare crisis. This presentation will define the maternal health crisis through data, provide updates on new attitudes towards collecting data showing racial disparities, and provide participants with advocacy strategies to support pregnant populations and ensure access to this crucial data.