Fostering Black Maternal Survivorship and Mothering through Initiatives to Reduce the Individualism and Racism within Biomedicine

Many scholars have studied Black maternal health disparities—their causal factors, effects, and concrete interventions to help eliminate them. Many of the life-ending occurrences pregnant Black women disproportionately face are preventable, demonstrating that a significant call to action is long overdue. My primary research question asks whether Gen-Z Black women will be receptive to an alternative prenatal care model (APCM) instead of the current American Care Model (ACM). The APCM is centered on the four guiding components of doula care: care navigation, health education, health literacy, and culturally congruent social support, and the components of critical race theory: race consciousness, contemporary orientation, centering the margins, and praxis. Upon my search of the literature, I found disciplinary divides on the best approach to dismantle maternal racial health disparities, such as incorporating alternative models of prenatal care into OB-GYN practice, limiting cesarean births, etc. Using a qualitative focus group method, two sessions were conducted, the first with 5 female UConn students and the second with 4. Based on the participant responses, I found that my sample of Gen-Z Black would be open to tailored programs that center collaboration between obstetrics and alternative care models, such as doula care and midwifery. The insight gleaned from my literature review and the focus group sessions provides evidence that to save pregnant women's lives, care delivery must prioritize kinship, racial equity, and compassion.