Dear
John,
As the newest member of the Health Justice team here at the National Partnership, I am laser-focused on ensuring our policies and initiatives center racial equity for all birthing persons, especially Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian American and Pacific Islanders.
And I’m excited to get to work with you!
If you've got a minute, please reply to this email and tell me what motivates you to advocate for women and families.
I’m a Black mother to a son who was born too soon and in a highly stressful situation. This was compounded by what I knew from years of working on maternal and infant health issues about Black birthing people dying at nearly triple the rates of their white counterparts due to pregnancy-related complications. Would I or my son—or both of us—die, becoming another tragic loss in maternal and infant mortality?
My spouse and I brought our son home after a short (but scary!) 6-day NICU stay, and we were fortunate to have strong support systems in our family and healthcare providers.
For too many people, this isn’t always possible.
Many deaths related to pregnancy are preventable, and that’s why I am so committed to help ensure everyone has access to quality, affordable and equitable health care.
Too often, health and education are the least-protected, least-invested, often forgotten priorities in our communities.
This Mother’s Day, we celebrate the resilience of people who are forced to fend for themselves when facing disparities. But, we must not confuse their strength with justice.
We should not simply be inspired by people who beat the odds that they never should have faced in the first place.
The good news is there is hope. We can achieve health equity for all by advancing bold policy solutions and advocating for them every single day. That’s what motivated me to join the National Partnership for Women & Families, and that’s why I am reaching out to you today.
As one of our incredible activists, I want to personally thank you for fighting for health justice for families like mine.
I look forward to working together, and I welcome hearing more about you and what motivates you to advocate for women and families.
Thank you!
— Venicia
Venicia Gray
Senior Manager for Maternal Health
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