Understanding & Addressing Black Birthing Mortality

The devastating reality of Black birthing mortality is that Black people are 3x more likely to die during or soon after giving birth than their white counterparts. Why is this, what can we do about it, and how can Black patients advocate for themselves in the delivery room? In this talk with Professor Keisha Ray, PhD, she’ll discuss the causes of this troubling phenomenon and how we can create more health equity for Black birthing people.

Keisha Ray, PhD

Bridget Finkeldey

Professor Keisha Ray received her PhD in philosophy, with a focus on bioethics, from the University of Utah. She is currently an assistant professor with the McGovern Center for Humanities & Ethics at UT Health Houston, where she also serves as the Director of the Medical Humanities Scholarly Concentration. Most of Dr. Ray’s work focuses on the sociopolitical determinants of Black people’s health, integrating social justice education into medical school curriculum, and the ethics of biomedical enhancement. She has contributed to top clinical, bioethics, and medical humanities journals and edited volumes. Dr. Ray is also frequently called upon as a bioethics expert for popular news sources. Her forthcoming book “Black Health” is currently available for preorder. Lastly, Dr. Ray serves as an editor of the American Journal of Bioethics blog site, "Bioethics Today," to which she is also a regular contributor.

Lucy Sandy

Bridget Finkeldey

Speaker