While the United States is one of the richest developed countries, maternal mortality rates rank as one of the highest among countries with similar economic or industrial advancements in comparison. This disparity is prominent when examined through a racial equity lens. This talk addresses strategies for empowering Black mothers and birthing people through mobilizing voices and connecting community leaders around the crisis of maternal mortality to ignite meaningful change.

Christine Ivery is the Assistant Director of Public Health Programs at the Southern New Jersey Perinatal Cooperative (SNJPC) and Adjunct Professor at La Salle University. She is dedicated to addressing and mitigating issues of Black infant and maternal mortality. Her passion is to help all walks of life through disease and disparity prevention, as well as to make an impact in the communities she serves. She secures implementation of the program objectives, leads teams to successful program execution and cultivates networks with maternal healthcare stakeholders to effectively address barriers that affect birth outcomes.