A Word … With Jason Johnson

Black Wombs Matter

Why does the maternal mortality crisis kill more Black mothers?

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Episode Notes

The U.S. has some of the worst maternal mortality rates in the industrialized world. And Black Americans are three times more likely to die in childbirth than white Americans. The documentary Aftershock focuses on how the health care system is failing Black mothers at the most vulnerable time of their lives and how their families are fighting to change that. On today’s episode of A Word, Jason Johnson speaks with the film’s co-director and co-producer Tonya Lewis Lee about the history of the crisis and the movement to solve it.

Aftershock is currently streaming on Hulu.

Guest: Tonya Lewis Lee.

Podcast production by Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola.

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About the Show

America doesn’t need another conversation about race. At least, not the kind we’ve been having … the ones that are sparked by a crisis and move quickly from shock to empty promises to forgetting. No. What America needs are REAL conversations about race—ones that shine a light on the facts, the history, and the reality of how race plays out in our politics and society. That’s what Slate offers each week on A Word … with Jason Johnson. A veteran political commentator, Johnson will bring his incisive wit to thoughtful discussions with leaders, journalists, and other change-makers who will tell the truth about America’s challenges around race and offer ideas on the way forward.

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