SR 107

MICHIGAN SENATE
Senate Resolution No. 107
Offered by Senators Geiss, Santana, Anthony, Chang, Moss, Brinks, Klinefelt, McMorrow, Camilleri, McCann, Singh, Hertel, Cavanagh, Cherry, Irwin, Polehanki, Damoose and Wojno
A RESOLUTION TO COMMEMORATE APRIL 11-17, 2026, AS BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH WEEK
WHEREAS, We recognize the week-long campaign founded and led by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance to spread awareness, activism, and community-building to amplify the voices, perspectives, and experiences of Black Mamas and birthing people; and
WHEREAS, According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Black mothers in the United States (U.S.) die at three times the rate of white mothers; and
WHEREAS, The CDC data from 2024 for pregnancy-related deaths shows that maternal mortality rates are disproportionately high: 14.2 deaths per 100,000 live births for white women, 44.8 deaths per 100,000 live births for Black women, and 17.9 deaths per 100,000 live births for women of all races in the U.S.; and
WHEREAS, Among high-income nations, the U.S. has some of the worst rates of maternal and infant health outcomes, despite spending an estimated $111 billion per year on maternal, prenatal, and newborn care; and
WHEREAS, At 14.7 percent, Black women have the highest percentage of U.S. live births that were preterm; and
WHEREAS, Disparities in maternal and infant mortality are rooted in structural racism. The Institute of Medicine reported substantial disparities in the quality of care for minority communities even when accounting for healthcare, insurance coverage, and income; and
WHEREAS, Black women are more likely to quit, be fired, or return to work before they are healthy after giving birth due to inadequate family and medical leave policies; and
WHEREAS, Black maternal death is one of the widest, but not the only racial disparities in women’s health; and
WHEREAS, Black women are 22 percent more likely to die from heart disease than white women, 71 percent more likely to die from cervical cancer, and three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related or childbirth-related causes; and
WHEREAS, According to the National Institutes of Health, when compared with white women with the conditions of preeclampsia, eclampsia, abruptio placentae, placenta previa, and postpartum hemorrhage, which are common causes of maternal death and injury, Black women are two to three times more likely to die than white women who had the same condition; and
WHEREAS, Black women are more likely to experience reproductive health disorders such as fibroids, and are three times more likely to have endometriosis; and
WHEREAS, According to the Michigan Maternal Mortality Surveillance Project, between 2016 to 2020, Black women in Michigan experienced a pregnancy-related mortality rate of 36.5 deaths per 100,000 live births compared to 16.3 deaths per 100,000 live births for white women in Michigan; and
WHEREAS, According to the Commonwealth Fund, the U.S. has the highest maternal death rate in high income countries in which two-thirds of all recorded deaths are deemed to be preventable. Our state currently ranks 23rd in the nation for maternal deaths; and
WHEREAS, These alarming statistics for Black maternal health cut across socio-economic status, maternal age, and education levels; and WHEREAS, We recognize the necessity for increased attention to the state for Black maternal healthcare as well as the need to study and
understand the root causes of the discrepancies in maternal health outcomes; and
WHEREAS, We support community-driven programs, care solutions, the improvement of prenatal care and overall maternal healthcare, the improvement of breastfeeding rates and nutrition, and the amplification of the voices of Black mothers, women, families, and stakeholders, including Black women from across the diaspora and Afro-Latinx groups; and
WHEREAS, We stand with the Black Mamas Matter Alliance in recognizing the 2026 Black Maternal Health Week theme, “Rooted in Justice & Joy,” which reflects the strength and resilience of Black-led perinatal, maternal, and reproductive health organizations that have cultivated change and healing across communities; and
WHEREAS, We also recognize the necessity to end maternal mortality statewide, nationally, and globally to strengthen the need for maternal health and maternal rights; now, therefore, be it
Secretary of the Senate
RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, That the members of this legislative body commemorate April 11-17, 2026, as Black Maternal Health Week. Adopted by the Senate, April 15, 2026.