Community Forum: Is Society to Blame?

Health disparities between racial and ethnic groups in the United States can be stark. To address the unusually high infant-mortality rate in the African American community, a panel of USC researchers recently led a community forum at the California Endowment to explore a potential correlation between black infant mortality and societal racism.

"Black infant mortality rates are no better today than they were during the Civil War era," said Jack Turman, panelist and director of the USC Center for Premature Infant Health and Development. "This is unacceptable to scientists. This is unacceptable to Americans."

The event began with Turman giving an overview of the scope of the problem. Ten in every 1,000 black infants die in their first year. This compared to four in 1,000 Caucasian infants. The event continued with a group screening of the PBS special "When the Bough Breaks," part of the PBS documentary series Unnatural Causes ... Is Inequality Making Us Sick?, further accenting the unequaled challenges that African American women face when trying to have a child.

Tyan Parker Dominguez, assistant professor at the USC School of Social Work, then opened the discussion suggesting that racism can take a toll on children even before they leave the womb and that this social ill can have real physical effects. Attendees representing community organizations such as Black Infant Health had a chance to ask questions and share experiences.

The event was sponsored by the USC School of Social Work and the USC Center for Premature Infant Health and Development. Community partners included the March of Dimes Greater Los Angeles, the Pasadena Black Infant Health Program, the Pasadena Birthing Project, Los Angeles Black Infant Health and the California Black Women's Health Project.

Improving birth outcomes is an important component of First 5 LA's policy agenda. We work very closely with LA Best Babies Network, our strategic partner, to advocate for policies that will promote healthy pregnancies and healthy births for all Los Angeles County women and their children.  

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