There isn’t much that hasn’t 

already been said about the power 

of voting. In a society in which 

many aspects of our livelihoods 

aren’t 
controlled 
by 
us, 
it 
is 

important that we at least have a 

say on who is allowed to lead our 

nation. As citizens of the U.S., 

we aren’t necessarily given the 

chance to determine the future of 

healthcare policy or the allocation 

of public school funding. Casting 

our vote is the only way we can 

ensure that our interests are taken 

into consideration when decisions 

are being made that directly affect 

our lives. While the importance 

of voting needs to be constantly 

reiterated, it is a topic that is heavily 

discussed. What deserves more 

attention is the power of the Black 

vote specifically.

As the current election cycle 

continues to unfold, the ability of 

13% of the population to control 

the results of the Democratic 

presidential campaigns has become 

increasingly clear. In recent months, 

both Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders 

have 
experienced 
devastating 

lows and unexpected highs in 

the polls, and four candidates — 

Tom Steyer, Pete Buttigieg, Mike 

Bloomberg, and Kamala Harris 

have ended their campaigns. All of 

these phenomena have at least one 

common denominator—they were 

influenced by how these candidates 

were perceived by Black voters. For 

the bulk of 2019, and even some 

of 2020, Biden’s kryptonite was 

young Black voters. His stance on 

bussing, his revealed lack of support 

for Anita Hill in her sexual assault 

case against Clarence Thomas, and 

his blaming of Black mothers for 

the racial achievement gap caused a 

rocky foundation for his campaign. 

However, the South Carolina polls, 

which are made up largely of Black 

voters, revived Biden’s chances 

in the same way they devastated 

Buttigieg and Steyer’s. And as for 

Kamala Harris, her questionable 

stances on issues that are most 

pertinent to Black voters, as well as 

her perceived lack of authenticity 

when it came to her comments on 

racial justice, led to her slowed 

momentum 
and 
decreased 

availability of funds. In the past 

six months, the ability of the Black 

vote to be either the kiss of death 

or the source of life for any given 

campaign has become increasingly 

clear. There is no denying the power 

of the black vote.

The only thing left to happen is 

for the people with this power to 

take advantage of it. Historically, 

this hasn’t been seen as a viable 

option. 
This 
country’s 
track 

record of disenfranchisement and 

discriminatory 
voting 
practices 

has, understandably, stolen our 

community’s 
sense 
of 
hope. 

However, as contradictory as this 

may seem, utilizing this system is 

the only way to stop it from abusing 

us. Voting in people who represent 

us and our values is one of the best 

things we can do to create a system 

that works more for our benefit. 

Even as the Democratic primaries 

come to a close, this message 

remains important. It is one that 

extends to every political office that 

we are able to vote on, from the local 

level to the national level. There is 

power in the Black vote, and it needs 

to be harnessed.

On March 10, five states held 

their primaries (Idaho, Michigan, 

Mississippi, 
Missouri 
and 

Washington), while North Dakota 

held their Democratic caucuses. 

As a first time voter, I made sure to 

plan out when I was going to stand 

in line to exercise my right to vote — 

after attending the Bernie Sanders’ 

rally on Sunday, I felt even more 

empowered to let my voice be heard 

on that day because I had faith in my 

peers to “fight for someone that they 

didn’t know”. 

But in this spirit of excitement 

to vote, I couldn’t help but think 

about what my vote meant today; a 

topic which was on my mind heavily 

this election cycle was in regards 

to what is being done to address 

the current Black maternal health 

crisis (while also thinking about 

access to quality healthcare services 

that include family planning and 

reproductive health). Some past 

potential Democratic presidential 

candidates such as Kamala Harris, 

Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren, and 

Kirsten Gillibrand have introduced 

legislation to address this issue. 

Numbers do not lie: Black women 

are three to four times more likely to 

die during childbirth from pregnancy-

related complications than white 

women; the United States has some 

of the worst maternal mortality 

rates in the developed world. And 

Black women are twice as likely to 

lose an infant to premature death. 

Further, the Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention reports that 

60% of the 24.6 deaths per 1,000 

live births are preventable. These 

figures have also been adjusted for 

education and income. Maternal 

mortality disproportionately affects 

Black women and should not be 

taken at face-value — racial health 

disparities and patient-doctor trust 

are some of the main factors that 

contribute to this crisis. The pain 

Black women may report to their 

healthcare providers may not be 

taken seriously or downplayed. 

Most importantly, the structural 

systems of racism Black women have 

to navigate daily in the workplace 

and public spaces can take a toll on 

their physical health. 

Luckily, a group of legislators 

acted on this racial health disparity 

and made history today. 

The 
Black 
Maternal 
Health 

Caucus was created in the United 

States Congress by Reps. Lauren 

Underwood (D-Ill) and Alma Adams 

(D-N.C.) back in April of 2019 to 

address this crisis; the caucus has 

grown to hold 75 members. And 

today these members made history 

for the future of Black maternal 

health through the introduction 

of nine bills to the U.S. House of 

Representatives - the Black Maternal 

Health Momnibus Act of 2020. This 

Act is a set of comprehensive bills 

that “aims to fill gaps in existing 

legislation to improve the health 

outcomes for Black moms who are 

dying at three to four more times the 

rate of their White counterparts.” 

The goal of these bills center on 

the care of Black mothers, so that 

they receive “comprehensive, and 

culturally-competent care”; Reps. 

Underwood expressed at a press 

conference that the Black maternal 

health crisis is a national priority. 

A summary of what the legislation 

entails can be found on Reps. Lauren 

Underwood’s website. 

Black maternal health is an issue 

that will have to continue to be 

addressed in all levels of government 

as well as in classroom settings 

centered around Public Health, 

Policy, Psychology, Women’s Studies 

and many other disciplines to stir up 

healthy dialogue. In the meantime, 

hopefully 
the 
Black 
Maternal 

Health Momnibus Act 2020 will 

bring real change to how healthcare 

is provided and create safe spaces 

in the healthcare industry for Black 

mothers. 

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Michigan in Color
Monday, March 16, 2020 — 4

KAYLA THOMAS

MiC Staff Blogger

MICHAELA MINNIS

MiC Columnist

The Black Maternal Health Crisis: The Beginning of An End 

I became hip to Noname’s Book 

Club this past summer. Noname, a 

rapper and organizer from Chicago, 

started a book club to uplift voices 

of color by highlighting two books 

each month for online and in person 

community 
members 
to 
read. 

February was the first time I was 

able to read along. I choose to read 

a collection of poems by Morgan 

Parker called “Magical Negro”. 

I’ve always loved to read books, 

especially work written by Black 

people but poetry is a whole other 

realm for me. I feel as if some poems 

go over my head and I have to read 

over and over until I force meaning 

out of it. I felt that way about some 

of the poems in “Magical Negro” but 

the majority of them I could relate on 

a level I didn’t realize would connect 

with me, especially pertaining to my 

experiences as a Black woman.

One poem in particular titled 

“Now More Than Ever” really struck 

a chord with me. Parker writes about 

the way in which people use the 

saying, “now more than ever” to talk 

about social issues and politics. This 

phrase has been utilized so regularly 

by the privileged after 2016. They 

say, “Now more than ever, it is 

important that we stand together 

to fight against hate” or “Now more 

than ever, we have to uplift the most 

marginalized,” and so on. I’m tired 

of hearing this bullshit.

So many people have obliviously 

walked through the world thinking 

things were getting better, more 

tolerant, and accepting. Clinging so 

dearly onto the Obama presidency 

and the legalization of gay marriage 

while turning a blind eye on the 

increases of deportations, lead-

poisoned water in Flint, MI, and 

the lack of administrative change 

being done to stop police violence 

towards Black citizens. Activists of 

color, especially Black activists and 

organizers have been saying these 

things for decades.
CAMILLE MOORE

MiC Blogger

 

Now More Than Ever

The Power of the Black Vote

Images (above and below) from Daniela Lugo, MiC Senior Creative Content Editor

