In October of last year, Black mother Kira Johnson, tragically passed away after the staff at Cedars-Sinai disregarded her pain and delayed medical intervention for more than ten hours when she hemorrhaged after her C-Section. Implicit biases in health care are costing Black moms — and their babies — their lives. But we have a chance to fight this health crisis in the state of California.

California bill SB 464, the Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act, will change the kind of health care Black moms receive in California. One of the first legislations of its kind, the Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act aims to reduce preventable, pregnancy-related deaths and severe illnesses associated with disparities in health care. By requiring medical institutions to train staff to unlearn biases and misinformation, and by tracking deaths in which the woman was pregnant within 42-365 days of death, this bill will more comprehensively prepare health care providers to care for and gather data related to mothers and the challenges they face.

Black mothers face disparate outcomes regardless of wealth or class differences. Even superstars like Serena Williams and Beyoncé have faced life-threatening complications during the delivery of their children. When they told medical staff about their pain, the staff didn’t listen. This kind of behavior is not unusual. Today’s medical treatments are built on this racism, and harmful implicit biases remain pervasive in medical institutions.

We cannot allow Black moms to continue to suffer. Join us and bill sponsors Black Women for Wellness, ACT for Women and Girls, NARAL Pro-Choice California, and Western Center on Law and Poverty in telling CA legislators to pass the Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act.

Here is the Petition:

Dear California legislators: 

Black moms are not being treated with the respect and dignity they deserve, and it must be put to a stop. Far too often, Black moms are suffering from complications during childbirth or even death as a result of medical staff who are driven by implicit biases. Medical staff hesitate to treat Black patients, even during life-threatening situations, because of false myths about Black people. These kinds of beliefs are racist and they must be put to a stop.

But the Dignity in Pregnancy and Childbirth Act can help change the kind of health care Black moms receive in California. It's crucial that you pass this bill so that Black moms in California can be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.