May 22, 2019 -- In an effort to raise awareness about the staggering rate of pregnancy-related deaths among African American women, Westchester County’s Office for Women, in partnership with Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic and Westchester’s Women Advisory Council, will hold a special screening and discussion of “Death by Delivery.” The documentary investigates the growing rate of maternal mortality and death during child birth. The screening and debrief discussion will be held on Thursday, May 23 from 6 to 8 p.m. in Yonkers. The exact location will be shared when you register at this link.
Westchester County Executive George Latimer said: “The investigative documentary ‘Death by Delivery’ delves into a discussion about why black women are dying at such alarming rates during childbirth, and examines what is being done to prevent these deaths from happening. We must do all that we can to raise awareness around this major social justice, women’s equality issue, and determine what ways we can help stop this tragedy from continuing.”
Director of Westchester County’s Office for Women Robi Schlaff said: “The issue of poor outcomes in maternal fetal health for black women has gained national, state and local attention. In Westchester, the County Executive, Women’s Advisory Board and Office for Women have made this a priority issue, starting with the screening of the film ‘Death by Delivery.’ This is just the beginning of our efforts to combat this growing problem.”
President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic Vincent Russell said: “The current rates of maternal mortality, particularly in New York, are staggering and unacceptable. We have to do better for pregnant people, especially black women who are four times more likely to die from childbirth than white women. Raising awareness of this problem is one part of that effort. We are proud to partner with Westchester County’s Women’s Advisory Board and Office for Women to draw attention to this serious issue impacting our community.”