TAMPA, Fla. — Wednesday, in the Sunshine Health building on W. Waters Avenue, we found people coming together to delve into the darkness that often surrounds pregnancy for Black women.
It's a pain Xaviera "Zay" Bell knows intimately.
"I was calling that weekend and saying, 'Something's going on, I'm feeling some cramping. I'm having some spotting,' and they said, 'You're probably just constipated. Nothing to worry about.' so, by the time I got to the doctor, I was actually in pre-term labor, and I was forced to have my son," she said, "And because they changed his due date by ten days, they said he was not a 'viable pregnancy.' because he needed eight more days to provide life-saving majors and they did not. So we had to watch him die."
But she's not alone.
According to the CDC, Black women are dying or nearly dying at an average that's two to four times higher than white women.
Black moms are also two times more likely to experience mental health issues but half as likely to be treated.
Related Story: Black infant and maternal mortality rates on the rise, task force working to change that
It's a disparity that Bell said we as a community cannot afford to ignore.
"We can't fix racism, but what we can fix is accountability," she said.
To kick off that accountability, Bell organized a series of town halls that brought together healthcare providers and the community to focus on the state of Black maternal health.
Wednesday's town hall touched on mental health needs for Black women.
Those who attended say they want to encourage Black women to speak up about their pain.
"I pride myself on being someone who always advocates for people who, if you have an issue, name it, say it, seek out support, and if you don't find that support, speak to me," said Lenisha Watson.
And as a community, they add that we can all do a better job showing up for the women in our lives.
"Support your black birth workers, support your Black doulas, Black OBGYNs, Black women in your life who are pregnant, any mothers in your life. Support them, reach out to them, see if there's anything they need," said Isha Joseph.
The next town hall will be held in April at Sunshine Health.
It is open to the public.
