From next year, a stipend of $1000 per month will be awarded to a few Black and Pacific Islander women by the City of San Francisco, to tackle racial inequalities in wealth and prenatal care. The new program called The Abundant Birth Project was announced by Mayor London Breed on Monday (Sept. 21) during a press conference.
“Providing guaranteed income support to mothers during pregnancy is an innovative and equitable approach that will ease some of the financial stress that all too often keeps women from being able to put their health first,” she said.
In association with Expecting Justice, this project will present $1,000 in cash, each month, without any conditions to 150 pregnant Black and Pacific Islander women. This stipend will be provided throughout their pregnancies as well as six months after delivery.
“The Abundant Birth Project is rooted in racial justice and recognizes that Black and Pacific Islander mothers suffer disparate health impacts, in part because of the persistent wealth and income gap,” Mayor Breed added. “Thanks to the work of the many partners involved, we are taking real action to end these disparities and are empowering mothers with the resources they need to have healthy pregnancies and births.”
Atlanta Black Star stated that between 2012 and 2016, Black infants who were born, helped deduced that they were twice as likely as white babies to be born premature. Moreover, according to reports, the average Black household’s income in San Francisco was $30,000, as opposed to the city-wide median of $104,000.
Expecting Justice, a San Francisco Department of Public Health Department initiative, will delve into understanding the impact of the stipend on the health of both the participating mothers and their babies.
“It is exciting to be in a city that not only calls out racism as a problem, but also takes steps to heal the wounds left by decades of injustice and anti-Black sentiment,” Dr. Zea Malawa — who will lead the study — said.
Although the pandemic threw light upon the unequal prenatal care for pregnant Black women, the high mortality rate of Black mothers is a looming issue in the country. It was reported that, in America, Black women are three times more likely to pass away during childbirth in comparison to white mothers, and contribute to half of the maternal deaths in the country.
“Structural racism, which has left Black and Pacific Islander communities particularly exposed to COVID-19, also threatens the lives of Black and PI mothers and babies,” Malawa added.
The press release revealed that the objective of The Abundant Birth Project is to gradually provide a stipend to Black and Pacific Islander women for two years after having their children. The program is reportedly being funded by the San Francisco Health Department, the Hellman foundation and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey.
© 2020, Jonathan P-Wright. All rights reserved.
