Since 2023, a component of the Greater New York Chapter of the Links programming through our National Trends and Services Facet has focused on Black Maternal Health. The GNY Links were called to action following the release of a recent CDC report that found that Black women were significantly more likely to experience a pregnancy-related death, at a rate of 53 deaths per 100,000 live births across the state compared with 13 per 100,000 among white women.
In 2025, the GNY Links received a large grant from AmeriHealth Caritas and together with the NYU McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research will launch a transformative programming partnership on Black Maternal Health. Our inaugural program will be a video podcast: After Birth, Aftercare, Afterthought: The Fourth Trimester taking place on May 4, 2026, from 6:00pm-9:00pm, at BRIC Arts Media in Brooklyn.
Our video podcast, which will be recorded in front of a live audience, will explore the transformative months following childbirth—a period often overlooked, but essential for the long-term well-being of both parent and baby. We will focus on topics such as: physical recovery, warning signs, mental health, life and role adjustment, as well as personal and family advocacy during hospitalization and beyond, community-based programs and policy.
We are bringing together a distinguished group of speakers from around the country– maternal health experts, advocates, individuals with lived experience and policy makers to identify solutions and strategies for better support systems during this vulnerable stage. We are delighted that our host will be award-winning Journalist Julee Wilson.
You can register for the event for the event via this link.
