Create a vivid, cinematic scene featuring a confident Black woman, dressed in professional attire, standing at a polling station. She holds a
The 2024 election threatens Black women’s health with rising maternal mortality, restricted reproductive rights, and urgent need for healthcare access reforms. (Image generated by DALL-E).

Listen to this article

Download Audio

Black Women’s Health at Stake in the 2024 Election’s Crucial Landscape

By Darius Spearman (africanelements)

Support African Elements at patreon.com/africanelements and hear recent news in a single playlist. Additionally, you can gain early access to ad-free video content.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
Maternal mortality rates for Black women are three times higher than white women.
Restrictive abortion laws created by recent Supreme Court decisions pose serious risks to Black women’s health.
Access to healthcare via Medicaid expansion is vital for improving health outcomes among Black women.
Socioeconomic factors significantly influence health disparities affecting Black women.
Vice President Kamala Harris is seen as a trusted candidate for improving Black women’s healthcare.
Mobilization efforts by organizations are crucial to advocate for Black women’s health rights in the upcoming election.

Black Women’s Health and the 2024 Election: A Critical Intersection

The 2024 election looms as a pivotal moment for Black women’s health in America. With maternal mortality rates soaring and reproductive rights under siege, the stakes couldn’t be higher. This election isn’t just about politics—it’s about survival, dignity, and the fundamental right to healthcare for Black women across the nation.

Maternal Mortality: A Crisis Demanding Action

The maternal mortality crisis disproportionately impacts Black women, with devastating consequences. Black mothers face a risk of death during childbirth that’s three times higher than their white counterparts. This stark disparity isn’t just a statistic—it’s a damning indictment of systemic racism in healthcare.

Maternal Mortality Crisis

3x

Black women are 3 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications

2x

Maternal mortality rate nearly doubled between 2018 and 2022

Source: Black Women’s Health on the Ballot: What You Need to Know

The southeastern United States bears the brunt of this crisis, with states like Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana reporting the highest maternal death rates nationally. This regional disparity underscores the urgent need for targeted interventions and policy changes (Black Women’s Health on the Ballot: What You Need to Know).

Reproductive Rights Under Siege

The overturning of Roe v. Wade has dealt a devastating blow to reproductive rights, with Black women bearing the brunt of the impact. Restrictive abortion laws have led to life-threatening situations and even imprisonment for Black women facing severe pregnancy complications. This assault on bodily autonomy is nothing short of a public health emergency.

Impact of Reproductive Health Restrictions

4,000+ Title X clinics 1/3 clinics left network Services at risk: • Family planning • Prenatal care • Preventive services

Source: What’s at Stake in the 2024 Election for Women’s Health

The erosion of Title X clinics compounds this crisis. These facilities provide crucial family planning services, prenatal care, and preventive health services to low-income and uninsured patients. Yet, nearly one-third of these clinics were forced to leave the public health safety net due to restrictive policies during the previous administration. The potential reinstatement of such policies looms as a grave threat to Black women’s health (What’s at Stake in the 2024 Election for Women’s Health).

Healthcare Access: A Matter of Life and Death

The lack of access to quality healthcare is a critical issue for Black women, particularly in states that have refused to expand Medicaid. Women between 15 and 44 in Texas, Georgia, and Oklahoma face the highest uninsured rates, leaving them vulnerable to a host of health complications. This gap in coverage is not just a policy failure—it’s a human rights violation.

The refusal to expand Medicaid in 10 states has created a coverage gap that disproportionately affects Black women. This policy decision isn’t just short-sighted—it’s deadly. Expanded access to affordable health coverage is crucial for addressing the myriad health challenges facing Black women, from maternal health to chronic conditions (What’s at Stake in the 2024 Election for Women’s Health).

Chronic Conditions: A Silent Epidemic

Black women face disproportionately high rates of chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes. These health disparities aren’t just medical issues—they’re the result of systemic racism, environmental factors, and inadequate access to care. The statistics are staggering: about 58% of Black women suffer from high blood pressure, compared to 41% of white and Hispanic women. The death rates from hypertension-related causes are nearly double for Black women compared to their white counterparts.

Health Disparities: Hypertension Rates

58% Black Women 41% White Women 41% Hispanic Women Death rates from hypertension-related causes: Black women: 2x higher than white women

Source: American Heart Association

The diabetes epidemic also hits the Black community hard, with 12.1% of African Americans living with the disease. These health disparities aren’t just numbers—they represent lives cut short, families devastated, and communities struggling under the weight of preventable illness.

The 2024 Election: A Turning Point

The upcoming election presents a stark choice for Black women’s health. Vice President Kamala Harris has emerged as a champion for reproductive rights and maternal health, earning the trust of 82% of Black women voters. Her support for expanding Medicaid coverage and addressing maternal health disparities stands in sharp contrast to policies that would roll back these crucial protections.

Black Women Voters’ Trust in Candidates

82% Harris 12% Trump Trust on handling: • Household costs • Healthcare costs • Reproductive health

Source: Women Voters Revisited: Inflation, Abortion, and Increased Motivation in the 2024 Election Countdown

The Build Back Better Act, championed by the Biden-Harris administration, proposes over $3 billion in new funding to transform maternal health care. This includes mandating continuous Medicaid coverage for 12 months postpartum in all states—a crucial extension from the current 60-day limit. This policy could be life-saving, given that many maternal deaths and complications occur beyond the immediate postpartum period (Women Voters Revisited: Inflation, Abortion, and Increased Motivation in the 2024 Election Countdown).

A Call to Action

The 2024 election is more than a political contest—it’s a referendum on Black women’s right to health, dignity, and life itself. Organizations like the Black Women’s Health Imperative are mobilizing voters, emphasizing the critical importance of this election for reproductive rights, healthcare access, and economic stability.

As we approach November 5, 2024, the message is clear: Black women’s health is on the ballot

FAQ

Q: Why is the 2024 election important for Black women’s health?
A: The election is pivotal due to rising maternal mortality rates and ongoing threats to reproductive rights, making healthcare access a critical issue for Black women.

Q: What are the statistics regarding maternal mortality for Black women?
A: Black women face three times the risk of death during childbirth compared to white women, highlighting systemic racism in healthcare.

Q: How has the overturning of Roe v. Wade affected Black women?
A: The rollback of reproductive rights has resulted in life-threatening situations for Black women, who now experience increased risks during severe pregnancy complications.

Q: What is the impact of Medicaid expansion refusal on Black women’s health?
A: Many Black women are left uninsured, especially in states that refuse to expand Medicaid, exposing them to serious health risks and challenges.

Q: What chronic conditions disproportionately affect Black women?
A: High rates of hypertension and diabetes are prevalent among Black women due to systemic issues, with the death rates from hypertension-related causes nearly double compared to white women.

Q: How does Vice President Kamala Harris’ platform address these issues?
A: Harris has gained the trust of 82% of Black women by advocating for reproductive rights, Medicaid expansion, and tackling maternal health disparities.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darius Spearman is a professor of Black Studies at San Diego City College, where he has been teaching since 2007. He is the author of several books, including Between The Color Lines: A History of African Americans on the California Frontier Through 1890. You can visit Darius online at africanelements.org.