>> OKAY.

BLACK WOMEN ARE TWICE AS LIKELY AS WHITE WOMEN TO DIE FROM A PREGNANCY-RELATED CONDITION.

THAT'S ACCORDING TO LAST YEAR'S MATERNAL MORTALITY IN ILLINOIS REPORT, WHICH ALSO FOUND 91% OF THOSE DEATHS WERE PREVENTABLE.

THE NEW DOCUMENTARY, THE FIGHT FOR BLACK LIVES CHRONICLES THE STORIES OF BLACK MOTHERS WHO FACED RACIAL INEQUITIES IN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.

IT COMES AS GOVERNOR JB PRITZKER PROPOSES 4 MILLION DOLLARS IN HIS NEW BUDGET AIMED AT TACKLING THE ISSUE.

JOINING US NOW WITH MORE ARE SHERRY KEELS, A PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO AND DIRECTOR OF THE FIGHT FOR BLACK LIVES.

AND DOCTOR SAMIR DIRECTOR OF THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH.

WELCOME BACK.

DOCTOR VOHRA, THANK YOU FOR JOINING SHERRY, TELL US ABOUT HOW YOU OR YOUR YOUR RESEARCH AS A PROFESSOR LEAD YOU TO CREATE DOCUMENTARY.

RIGHT?

SO FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING ME HERE TO GET TO TALK ABOUT THIS.

THIS ESSENTIALLY THE REASON WHY CREATED DOCUMENTARY BECAUSE IF I WROTE A RESEARCH ARTICLE ON IT, >> NO ONE WOULD BE READING IT.

WE WOULDN'T BE TALKING ABOUT IT.

BUT WE'VE KNOWN FOR A VERY LONG TIME THAT THERE ARE THESE DISPARITIES AND THAT THERE ARE LARGE AND THEY HAVE MEANINGFUL EFFECTS ON THE LIVES OF THE WOMEN AIRLINES LIVES OF CHILDREN WHO MIGHT BE GOING UP WITHOUT THEIR MOTHERS.

IF THEY PASS AWAY DURING CHILDBIRTH.

AND ESSENTIALLY DURING THE PANDEMIC, THERE WAS A SPIKE, AN INCREASE AS THE AS DOCK.

AS YOU NOTED, 91% OF THESE DEATHS ARE PREVENTABLE.

THERE WAS A SPIKE IN PREVENTABLE DEATHS BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE COLLATERAL EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC AND THE WAY THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THEM IN THE PUBLIC MEDIA WITH STILL IS THE.

HEALTH BEHAVIOR CHOICES AND DECISIONS AND THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WOMEN COULD BE HEALTHIER IF THEY DID THIS OR IF THEY DID THAT.

AND THOSE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT.

BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE GAPS, THE RACIAL GAPS, IT'S BECAUSE OF OUR SYSTEMS THAT ARE STRUCTURES.

IT'S BECAUSE WOMEN HAVE TO DEAL WITH SO MUCH STRESS THROUGHOUT THEIR LIFE COURSE THAT WHEN THEY DO BECOME PREGNANT, THEIR BODIES ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE WORN DOWN, WHICH IS CALLED WEATHERING.

AND THAT MATTERS.

THAT'S NOT A HEALTH CHOICE BEHAVIOR.

IT'S ALSO ISSUES OF ACCESS TO HEALTH INSURANCE.

YOU KNOW, IF I'M I'M A BLACK WOMAN AND MAYBE I'M MORE LIKELY TO BE A SINGLE MOTHER.

IT MEANS I'M GOING TO HAVE TO WORK LONGER RIGHT UP TO MY PREGNANCY.

I'M GOING TO HAVE TO GET BACK TO WORK RIGHT AFTER THAT DELIVERY.

ORDER TO MAINTAIN THAT HEALTH INSURANCE AND THAT AND WE KNOW THAT THAT THAT RETURN TO WORK VERY QUICKLY.

THERE ARE OTHER COMPLICATIONS.

AND I JUST LEARNED THE WORD HERE WEATHERING.

>> WANT TO GET A DOCTOR FOR IN JUST A BUT, YOU KNOW, WE MENTIONED THE DOCUMENTARY AND I KNOW THAT IT HAS BEEN PLAYING AT SOME FESTIVALS ALL OF YOUR EXPERTS IN THE DOCUMENTARY OR WOMEN OF COLOR THAT WAS CLEARLY IMPORTANT TO I LOVE WATCHING DOCUMENTARIES MYSELF.

AND EVEN WHEN THOSE DOCUMENTARIES ARE TALKING ABOUT RACIAL ISSUES, WHEN THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT ISSUES OF INEQUALITY, ECONOMIC ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

>> MOST OF EXPERTS ARE STILL WHITE.

AND SO IT JUST GAVE ME THE FREEDOM.

WHEN I WAS DOING DOCUMENTARY TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS WAS NOT ONLY TALKING ABOUT BLACK PROBLEMS BUT CELEBRATING BLACK EXPERTS.

ALL OF THESE WOMEN AS EXPERTS THERE ARE AT THE TOP OF FIELD.

SO THEY'RE NOT ONLY TALKING ABOUT IT FROM A RESEARCH PERSPECTIVE.

THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT IT FROM A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE.

THIS MATTERS TO THEM.

THEY'RE NOT ONLY DOING THE RESEARCH, THEY'RE DOING THE WORK IN THEIR COMMUNITIES TO CREATE CHANGE.

AND I JUST WANTED TO BE ABLE TO SHOW.

JUST THAT WE HAVE ALL OF THIS BLACK EXCELLENCE.

YOU THERE NO IFS ANDS OR WHO ARE DOING THE DOCTOR VOHRA.

>> THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET PROPOSAL INCLUDES 23 MILLION DOLLARS TO ADVANCE BIRTH AND OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BIRTH EQUITY IN THERE.

SOME OTHER STEPS MONEY THAT'S APPROPRIATED OR THAT IS PROPOSED FOR CHILDREN.

AND I BRING PROGRAM HOME VISITING, GIVE US A SENSE OF OF WHAT THE GOVERNOR IS PROPOSING, WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN.

>> PART OF THE GOVERNOR AND HIS LEADERSHIP ON ELEVATING THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE AND REALLY PUTTING THE EFFORT TO ADDRESS THESE GAPS.

AS YOU MENTIONED, 23 MILLION DOLLARS, 4 MILLION DOLLARS TO THE ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH TO THINK ACROSS GOVERNMENT ACTION PLAN TO HELP ADDRESS THESE DISPARITIES AS WELL AS PROVIDE BIRTH EQUITY RESOURCE GRANTS TO COMMUNITY-BASED PROVIDERS TO REALLY THINK ABOUT THIS AS A COMMUNITY OF AN ISSUE.

THE GOVERNOR IS ALSO PROPOSING 12 MILLION DOLLARS TO ESTABLISH CHILD TAX CREDIT PROGRAM TARGETED FOR LOW INCOME FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN UNDER 3, ANOTHER 5 MILLION TO INCREASE THE DEPARTMENT HUMAN SERVICES HOME VISITING PROGRAM.

WE KNOW HOW IMPORTANT HOME VISITING MODELS ARE AROUND THE BIRTH OF A CHILD AND THE FIRST YEAR AFTER BIRTH AS WELL AS A PILOT PROGRAM TO INVEST GETTING THE CRITICAL NEED OF DIAPERS TO INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES.

AND THEN FINALLY, A MILLION DOLLAR INCREASE IN THE ONLY REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH FACILITIES.

GRANT ADMINISTERED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY.

ALL OF THOSE COMBINED TO REALLY MAKE AN EFFORT AND SHOW THE COMMITMENT GOVERNOR AND THAT ENTIRE ADMINISTRATION AROUND IMPROVING MATERNAL HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR THOSE MOMS AS WELL AS THEIR CHILDREN REALLY AT THE CORE OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND IMPROVING THE HEALTH OF COMMUNITIES.

SO THE DOCUMENTARY RECOUNTS THE STORIES OF MULTIPLE BLACK WOMEN WHO HAD PAINFUL OR HARMFUL EXPERIENCES THROUGH THEIR PREGNANCY, CHILDBIRTH GENERAL, A GYNECOLOGICAL CARE.

HERE IS A MOMENT FROM THE FILM.

>> SO THEY GAVE ME MORPHINE.

>> AFTER LIKE 2 HOURS, I WAS RESPONDING TO THE MORPHINE.

I WAS IN INCREDIBLE PAIN AND THEY SAID IT WOULD PROBABLY BE TIME FOR AN EARLY AT THE PROBABLY ANOTHER LIKE 10 HOURS BEFORE I GOT THAT.

AND SO THEY SAID WHAT THE BABIES THAT IN DISTRESS.

SO LET'S LET'S WAIT.

LET'S WAIT FOR YOU TO DILATE A LITTLE BIT MORE.

WE WAITED FOR HIM HOURS.

>> TURNED INTO DAYS.

>> THAT IN THE DOCUMENTARY IN THE FILM SHE GOES ON TO SAY THAT A WHITE FRIEND WHO WAS IN A SIMILAR SITUATION DID NOT HAVE TO WAIT QUITE AS LONG AND WHAT SHE WAS DELIVERED MUCH WHAT WHAT ARE WHAT IS THIS AND MAYBE SOME OTHER MOMENTS IN THE FILM TELL YOU ABOUT HOW BLACK WOMEN ARE PERCEIVED IN THE MEDICAL INDUSTRY.

SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE KNOW OUR THERE'S STILL PERSIST TODAY.

UNFORTUNATELY IS STILL IMPLICITLY TAUGHT IN MEDICAL SCHOOL THAT BLACK PEOPLE, I'M MUCH MORE TOLERANT TO PAIN ALSO IDEAS THAT DARKER SKIN IS TOUGHER.

AND SO IT CAN HANDLE IN THIS PROCESS.

IT'S ALSO THE EXTENT TO WHICH YOU I SEE YOU AND YOUR HUMANITY AND EMPATHIZE WITH YOU WHEN I'M PROVIDING CARE.

IF I'M ABLE TO SEE YOU AND YOUR HUMANITY EMPATHIZE WITH YOU, I'M MORE LIKELY TO REACT QUICKER.

RATHER YOU KNOW, WATCHING THIS CLINICAL CASE UNFOLD AND DISTANCE AND AWAY FROM ME.

AND SO THAT'S A PIECE OF IT.

ONE OF THE STATISTICS THAT SHOWING THE DOCUMENTARY IS THAT WHEN BLACK CHILDREN, BLACK INFANTS ARE CARED FOR BY A BLACK DOCTOR.

THERE ARE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS LIKELY TO DIE BEFORE THEIR FIRST BIRTHDAY.

THEN WHEN BLACK INFANTS ARE CARED FOR BY A WHITE DOCTOR RICH AND INDICTED WITH, THERE'S ALSO OBVIOUSLY THE TALK ABOUT HOW TO BRING IN MORE BLACK DOCTORS SO THAT THERE'S MORE ACCESS TO THAT, WHICH WHICH I KNOW IS A UNFORTUNATELY.

>> WE'RE OUT OF SHERRY KEELS AND DOCTOR SAMIR BORA, THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR JOINING