As with most things, Black people have to be ten times more attentive when it comes to healthcare due to the many medical disparities that can result from simply being melanated.

That hard-yet-vital truth crossed the minds of many this past week for the duration of Black Maternal Health Week (4/11 – 4/17), particularly for us as we discovered many important facts on the subject by way of our good friends at Baby Dove.

RELATED: Black Maternal Health Week – Why Black Doulas Matter

As a warm-up to the week at hand, Baby Dove hosted its one-night-only “Gallery of Care” in the neighborhood of TriBeCa in New York City to not only spread awareness but present it from an artistic perspective. The evening of April 4 was highlighted by the portrait art of photojournalist Solana Cain, who captured Baby Dove’s Black Birth Equity Fund Recipients from 2021, 2022 and 2023. Women just like featured subjects Jasmine, Matilda, Jazzmine, Ronique and Kendra were in attendance for inspiration, and even Black doulas were in the building to share their gems and possibly get some new work. Light bites and libations helped to give the event a warm and welcoming feeling, but the magic was truly in the panel discussion that reunited Cain with Jazzmine and also featured Director of Personal Care at Unilever, Erin Goldson.

More info on a night in honor of Black moms-to-be everywhere below, via Baby Dove:

“‘After receiving a grant from Baby Dove in 2023, I was able to hire a doula who acted as my personal advocate leading up to my due date and in the delivery room,’ says Jazzmine Hall, a Black Birth Equity Fund Recipient featured in the Expecting Care campaign. ‘It made me so much more confident in my journey, and I was able to enjoy my pregnancy more knowing I had someone who would be there to help me through the labor process. I’m so happy that Baby Dove is helping to bridge the equity gap and thrilled to be included alongside other Black expectant moms to advocate for the importance of doula care.’

The campaign will live across Baby Dove’s social and digital platforms, in addition to out-of-home placements and photography within the baby care aisle at Walmart locations nationwide, to further increase awareness of the Black maternal care gap.

‘The goal of Baby Dove’s Black Birth Equity Fund has always been to improve the birthing journey for Black moms and their babies,’ says Greg Ross, Chief Operating Officer of North America Personal Care at Unilever. ‘As we enter Black Maternal Health Week 2024, Baby Dove is proud to uplift the stories of our grant recipients with our Expecting Care project, while reinforcing our commitment to providing affordable, accessible and high-quality care for Black moms.’”

To better put things into perspective, here’s some more information we discovered by way of the Black Birth Equity Fund:

Black women are 3 to 5x more likely to die of pregnancy related causes than white women
60% (or more) of pregnancy related deaths could have been prevented
Black babies are 2x more likely to die a premature death compared to white babies

Click here to learn more facts like that, and check out our photo recap of the Baby Dove Gallery Of Care event as we close out Black Maternal Health Week today. Keep in mind though, this is need-to-know info for all seasons and reasons:

On Maternal Death Rates, Postpartum Care & Trusting Your Body: A Q&A With A Black DoulaRacism, Racial Bias And The Alarming Crisis Of Black Infant And Maternal Deaths

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