Black Maternal Health Care in North Carolina
How community care is keeping North Carolinians out of prison—for good
Published May 22, 2025
After six prison sentences, Bobby Harrington found healing through a North Carolina nonprofit offering free mental health care to the formerly incarcerated.
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Beyond birth: The missing postpartum care putting North Carolina mothers at risk
Published March 19, 2025
While North Carolina has expanded Medicaid for postpartum care, gaps in maternal support persist. Entrepreneurs and lawmakers are stepping in to provide critical resources for new mothers who lack essential postpartum support.
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A state task force on child fatalities wants Medicaid to cover doulas in NC
Published August 23, 2024
Doulas are non-medical aides who provide information and support to parents before, during, and shortly after the birth of their babies. Supporters say the state should make doulas in NC more affordable.
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How new federal health laws fill the gaps in NC and support breastfeeding workers
Published August 5, 2024
With North Carolina’s absence of state protections for pregnancy, people like Rose Stanley now have (new) federal laws to balance her college education, job, and parenthood. Read how these regulations are helping not just her—and where there’s room for growth.
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Opinion: You should decide when, if, or how to start a family. Not Donald Trump.
Published July 18, 2024
I’ve traveled across the state this summer to talk to voters about what’s at stake in the upcoming election. One of the many obstacles facing North Carolinians this November is misinformation, particularly around where candidates stand on important issues. We need to set the record straight on what Donald Trump plans to do if he […]
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Doctors dismissed a Black physician’s postpartum heart attack as heartburn. Now she’s helping other women push back.
Published June 10, 2024
Dr. Jonisha Brown founded BirthRight to empower Black pregnant women to speak up when doctors seem to ignore their concerns.
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Queer doulas make childbirth safer for Black, brown, and LGBTQ+ people, but barriers remain
Published May 30, 2024
Queer doulas make childbirth safer for Black, brown, and LGBTQ+ people, but barriers remain. Here's what you need to know.
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VIDEO: ‘I felt invisible” NC woman says doctors ignored her concerns during childbirth.
Published May 29, 2024
Doctors are more likely to ignore the concerns of Black pregnant women and dismiss their symptoms, several studies show. Which is exactly what happened with Jessica Deas with two of her three pregnancies. With her third child, she decided to give birth at home with a midwife instead. She spoke with Cardinal & Pine about […]
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Black pregnant women say white doctors don’t listen to them. Here’s one NC woman’s story.
Published May 23, 2024
Jessica Deas has three children, but doctors in her first two pregnancies, she says, dismissed her serious symptoms, ignored her pain and shrugged away her concerns. Her experience is not unique.
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Unique event will discuss NC maternal health gap for people of color
Published May 19, 2024
One in three pregnant women in North Carolina do not receive the necessary prenatal care during their first three months of pregnancy, according to recent data.
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In a gridlocked Congress, a rare show of bipartisanship to prevent stillbirths
Published May 18, 2024
U.S. Rep. Alma Adams from North Carolina partners with Republicans to fund research in preventing stillbirths, which happen about 58 times a day in America.
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Twenty of North Carolina’s 100 counties are ‘maternity care deserts’
Published May 16, 2024
Huge portions of North Carolina are without local options for maternity care. Here's why that matters.
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