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What's behind the high black infant mortality rates? Racism, not race
Residents say the neighborhood of Castlemont in Oakland has been historically underserved and under-resourced. It's part of the Best Babies Zone initiative, part of a national initiative which aim to change that.
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Priska Neely/KPCC
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What's behind the high black infant mortality rates? Racism, not race
Black babies in the the United States are twice as likely to die before their first birthdays as white babies. This alarming statistic is not new. That gap in birth outcomes has persisted for decades. As KPCC’s Priska Neely reports, one of the reasons it’s hard to change: systemic racism is at the heart of the issue.
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Read more from this series on LAist:
- America's Black Babies Are Paying For Society's Ills. What Will We Do To Fix It?
- Keeping Black Babies Alive Is A Priority For LA's Top Health Officials
- These People Have Dedicated Their Lives To Keeping Black Babies Alive
- Black Babies Die At Twice The Rate Of White Babies. My Family Is Part Of This Statistic
This project received support from the Center for Health Journalism's California Fellowship and its Fund for Journalism on Child Well-being.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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