Dani McClain On The Black Maternal Health Crisis

Explore The Space

“We have a human right to have a child, to not have a child, and to parent a child in safe and healthy communities.”

Dani McClain is a journalist and writer who has been covering the issues of reproductive justice and the black maternal health crisis. She joins us to discuss her experiences being pregnant, the impact of implicit bias in medicine, & the importance of cultural congruence through the prism of her incredible essays and her new book, “We Live For The We.”

Key Learnings

1. Dani’s reporting background in reproductive rights and reproductive justice

2. Deciding to report on the black maternal health crisis

3. Step into the tension of Dani’s experience entering her doctor’s office

4. How shame can enter into the narrative and perceptions for women of color when they seek healthcare

5. Assessing the connection between maternal health & implicit bias

6. Hearing from young black women who feel “terrified” to have a child and how it informs her reporting and storytelling.

7. The importance of cultural congruence & the impact it has on driving trust and information sharing. Basically, the answers to the test are provided

8. Where Dani sees her role in the work going forward.

9. Good places we can all look for information for better decision, including her incredible book “We Live For The We” and the origins of that

10. Wherein Dani recognizes her role as a leader in the work of reproductive justice and demonstrates the right kind of comfort in promoting her superb writing

11. Acknowledging the increased fear and anxiety carried by black parents around keeping their children safe in America, and her incredible article in Time magazine on the subject.

Links

Dani McClain’s website: www.danimcclain.com

Her new book: “We Live For The We: The Political Power Of Black Motherhood”

Twitter: @drmcclain, Instagram: @dani_mcclain

The Nation: https://www.thenation.com/article/what-its-like-to-be-black-and-pregnant-when-you-know-how-dangerous-that-can-be/

Time Magazine: http://time.com/5586869/black-children-joy/