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Primary Submission Category: Health equity
“They make us feel inferior”: Black women’s experiences of racism and radical healing practices in maternal healthcare in Georgia
Authors: Ran Zhang, Jasmin Darville, Sierra Carter, Beverly Bruno, Alexis Kendall, Ifrah Sheikh, Myiera Seymour, Simone Sanders, Chrisma Manley, Gina Northington, Kaitlyn Stanhope,
Presenting Author: Sheree Boulet*
Background Racism embedded in the healthcare system limits access to quality maternal care and adversely affects Black women’s health. Guided by the radical healing framework, this mixed-methods study examined Black women’s experiences of racism in maternal healthcare and identified coping and healing strategies.
Methods Between December 2023 and January 2024, we conducted a survey among Black women aged 18-45 years residing in Georgia. Measures assessed obstetric racism, race-related stress, perceived stress, physical and mental health, social support, Africultural coping strategies, critical consciousness, and Black community activism orientation. We summarized characteristics and scale scores using descriptive statistics. We conducted focus groups to explore experiences of racism in maternal healthcare and radical healing coping practices, using inductive thematic analysis.
Results Survey respondents (n=209) were primarily aged 25–34 years (62.7%), non-Hispanic (91.4%), and college-educated (64.1%). Nearly all had been pregnant (98.1%), with 70.1% reporting ≥2 pregnancies. Obstetric racism was reported infrequently; however, when experienced, respondents reported higher stress levels linked to ceremonies of degradation, racial reconnaissance, and disrespectful treatment. Race-related stress across cultural, individual, and institutional domains was moderate, as was perceived stress. Mental health showed moderate limitations in energy and fatigue, while physical health was generally good. Self-reported social support was high. Respondents frequently used cognitive/emotional, spiritual, and Africultural collective coping strategies. Critical consciousness was moderate, with stronger orientation toward low-risk and formal political activism than high-risk activism. Focus groups reinforced survey findings and highlighted four domains: enduring and resisting systemic racism, nurturing self-determination and empowerment, healing through cultural identity and community, and imagining radical hope and transformation.
Conclusion Racism and discrimination impose substantial physical and emotional burdens on Black women. Research that amplifies strategies utilized by Black women, like radical healing, to combat oppression are necessary to support holistic healing. Maternal health research and clinical practice should move beyond individual-level coping frameworks and support approaches that foster collectivism, community-based healing, and structural change to promote more equitable care.