Black Breastfeeding Week, observed each year from Aug 25-31, was created to close gaps in breastfeeding rates among Black families. Breastfeeding is a critical public health strategy to decrease high infant mortality rates, which disproportionately impact Black communities. Across Northwest Indiana and throughout the state, infant mortality among Black residents is significantly higher than among […]
Maternal Health
Posted inMaternal Health
The Black Maternal Health Crisis Is Getting Worse. One Expert Details the Resources Available to Help Solve It.
This series was produced as part of the Pulitzer Center’s StoryReach U.S. Fellowship. In the U.S., Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. April is recognized as National Minority Health Month, a national initiative to advance health equity for racial and ethnic minorities. Within the month, Black […]
Posted inMaternal Health, Politics & Policy
How the War Against DEI May Kill a Breastfeeding Program in Gary
This series was produced as part of the Pulitzer Center’s StoryReach U.S. Fellowship. In the empty halls of the Gary Neighborhood Services building on Grant Street once stood the Milky Way Cafe, a casual space created for breastfeeding moms to meet, share supporting resources, and consult with professionals. But the clinic, one of the few […]
Posted inMaternal Health
Black Mamas Matter: Addressing Maternal Health Disparities in Gary
This series was produced as part of the Pulitzer Center’s StoryReach U.S. Fellowship. “What can we do to improve Black maternal health?” The question, from a single Gary mom, fell on the empathetic ears of nearly 20 other women at J’s Breakfast Club in Gary. But the query, all too common, has reached far beyond […]
Posted inAir Pollution, Health, Maternal Health
Toxic Air, Limited Care: The Risks of Pregnancy in Gary
This series was produced as part of the Pulitzer Center’s StoryReach U.S. Fellowship. Kimmie Gordon sat in her car, watching the sky darken as she waited for her 15-year-old son, Kaleb, to finish football practice. It is one of five sports her teenager plays despite living with chronic asthma. Over an hour stretched on, but […]