Black babies born in Los Angeles County are three times more likely than white babies to die before their first birthday, and Black moms are four times more likely than white moms to die of complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. The truth is that the gap in mortality rates between black and white babies has existed for decades. And it has not budged. Research is showing systemic racism, lack of midwifery care options, and lack of midwives & doulas of color as the causes for these shocking disparities. In response to the black maternity health crisis effecting black birthing people in this country, Kindred Space LA, which opened to the public in 2018, offers complete midwifery care creating space for the physical, emotional and practical preparation for birth and life with a newborn. Kindred Space LA is the only Black owned birthing center in Los Angeles. Located in South Los Angeles, Kindred Space LA is a fully operational birthing center and clinical training site for students serving the community of color. Women of color were more likely to say they were treated unfairly during birth and more than half said they'd be interested in midwifery care for future pregnancies. America's black babies are paying for society's ills. What can we do as designers to fix it?
In this Designmatters and Humanities+Sciences co-hosted studio, students will collaboratively design comprehensive multi-modal awareness campaigns with the goal of facilitating access to equitable child birthing experiences, increasing awareness around black midwifery and improving health outcomes while addressing the Black Maternal health crisis in America.
Requisites
Must be 5th Term or higher