The Reality of Maternal Mortality

Abstract

This paper explores the racial disparities of maternal mortality, with a focus on the disparities between Black and White women. This topic is important because it is not gaining enough attention on a national scale and it highlights the fact that institutional racism is still very well prevalent in the medical world (e.g., Tuskegee syphilis study, sterilization of Puerto Rican women or the exploitation of Henrietta Lacks’ (HeLa) cells). I hope to bring knowledge on how racism and medical implicit bias can affect people’s quality of life specifically women of color.