Death by Pregnancy: Caring for the mental well-being of Black mothers is focus of Black Maternal Mental Health Week
Washingtoner/10174505

HOUSTON - Washingtoner -- Denise Williams, 29, was a Black mother of two. After the birth of her second child, she went to Queens Hospital Center in New York to be treated for postpartum depression. The reason for her death just 48-hours after being admitted remains unresolved. Her family is still without answers. Yes, Black maternal morbidity is on the rise and the numbers are higher than originally reported. According to a study by the Maryland Population Research Center at the University of Maryland, Black mothers are 3.5 times more likely to experience death by pregnancy. Kay Matthews, founder of The Shades of Blue Project and Black Maternal Mental Health Week says the mental health of Black mothers is also a factor to the significantly higher numbers. Her organization is hosting a week-long event focused on Black maternal mental health and will launch with a press conference and balloon release on Tuesday, July 19, 2022 at Houston's City Hall - Hermann Square Park from 4 to 8 P.M.

More on Washingtoner

• HarryPotterObamaSonic10Inu Celebrates World Record 1,000+ Days Livestream with Record-Breaking Merchandise Launch
• Igniting High-Growth Expansion as Electrification Strategy and Infrastructure Dominance Converge; 88% Revenue Growth (N Y S E: MWG)
• Appliance EMT Presents Multi-Thousand Dollar Donation to Kids Motel Ministry to Support Local Families
• New Report Reveals Plane Crashes Are Not Where You'd Think
• City Council Adopts Updated Resolution for 'Connect Tacoma' Ballot Proposition

Black Maternal Mental Health Week to be held July 19 through July 25 includes an in-person training session, a two-day summit, a community awards brunch, a fundraising walk, and ends with a State of Black Maternal Mental Health Roundtable discussion.

"We have many issues in our city around mortality and morbidity and its ties to postpartum mental health complications," Matthews stated. "We've always had a problem, but what will we do to solve it?" she asked. Matthews and her collaborative partner, Kimberly A. Baker, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Health Promotion & Behavioral Science say they know that it will take "education, awareness, and action" to finally see a decrease in Black maternal morbidity.

The two-day hybrid summit will be held July 21-22. The location will be sent upon completion of registration. Matthews and Baker are excited the event is back in person and for the continued virtual component. Matthews grinned, "I'm excited to see people excited about it being in person."

This year's summit includes local, national, and international speakers. A partial list of speakers and topics includes:

• Nathalie Walton of Expectful; Innovation in Maternal Mental Health
• Titi Otunla, of Texas Children's Pavilion for Women, a Nurse-Midwife, and Carla Ortique, MD of The Women's Specialist of Houston at Texas Children's Hospital; Let's Talk: Addressing What's Killing Black Women Giving Birth (OBGYN & Midwives)
• Marquita Stray of Imani's Light; A Deafening Silence - The Intersection of Black Birthing People, Perinatal Loss, and Disenfranchised Grief
• Omari Maynard of The ARIAH Foundation, Kenn Harris of the National Institute for Children's Health Quality; and Shaugnn Thomas of Invest in Yourself; Fatherhood in the Black Community

This is the organization's fourth year hosting Black Maternal Mental Health Week and Matthews hopes the project is short-lived. "My goal is to no longer have a Black Maternal Mental Health Week 10 years from now," she said. Matthew hopes that through continued awareness, understanding, and action taken by her organization and other community partners there won't be a need for the event. "But until we reach that point, we'll continue to be here and show up," she affirmed.

More on Washingtoner

• Vangal Invests $3M Seed in Help Viber, Expanding into AI-Powered Customer Support and Communication
• Whiteside & Goldberg Investigating Claims on Behalf of Victims in TJ Maxx Hidden Camera Incident in Machesney Park, Illinois
• "Fearless and Free": Long Beach Pride 2026 Celebrates Resilience, Family, and Multicultural Connection
• 50 Years of Small Business Wisdom, Supercharged by AI: Shelly Berman Launches The Business Health Check
• Deborah E. Jones Releases Emotional Sovereignty, a Book on Emotional Awareness and Self-Regulation

For registration, a complete list of speakers, and a full description of activities, please visit,  www.shadesofblueproject.com.