Kick-off event observes National Prematurity Awareness Month in the African American community
LOS ANGELES, CA - iDREAM for Racial Health Equity, a non-profit organization committed to addressing the cultural, societal, environmental and economic issues impacting health outcomes for African-American families, hosted a kick-off event on November 2nd for National Prematurity Awareness Month. The organization cites that in the United States, black infants from college educated mothers are twice as likely to die as white babies. The root causes of this disparity seem to be insufficient and uninformed health care and psychosocial risks such as racism. The basis of iDream's work centers on educating the millennial generation about how they can reverse this startling trend, and break the myth that only poor, uneducated black women have at-risk pregnancies and poor birth outcomes.
iDream believes that by empowering a pipeline comprised of young women who themselves did “everything right” and still experienced problematic pregnancies, the organization can be successful in providing a deeper understanding of the issues impacting the ecosystem of racial health disparity.
For the kick-off event, iDream for Racial Health Equity invited local mothers from Mocha Moms, Inc., a support group for stay at home mothers of color, from the Los Angeles and Pasadena chapters along with special sister friends to the ING Cafe to discuss ways to reverse this trend in the African-American community. Guests were provided critical information about prematurity awareness and preconception health, viewed a powerful screening of the award-winning documentary, Unnatural Causes - When the Bough Breaks, and listened to uplifting and inspiring stories of motherhood.
Nikea Johnson, Mocha Mom, shares her story about delivering two preterm daughters four years apart.
Wenonah Valentine (right) with Mika Williams, Mocha Mom (Los Angeles Chapter) and Community Health Advocate Leader for iDream for Racial Health Equity. Mika delivered a preterm son at 33 weeks.
Learn more about iDream for Racial Health Equity by visiting www.idreamnow.org.