In the United States, women oftentimes have to deal with the struggles that come along with maternity. No matter a woman’s race or ethnic background, almost every woman is bound to face a disadvantage at one point, however, African American women tend to deal with greater obstacles that affect them on a larger scale.
Due to the less opportunity African American women receive with economic struggles, it is unfortunate that these women do not have equal advantage in accessing higher education such as their white counterparts. In the study, Racial/Ethnic Variations in Women’s Health: The Social Embeddedness of Health, researcher David Williams, found that the level of education for black and white mothers is a strong indicator of infant mortality rates. Because African American women have less access to higher education, their infants are at greater risk of mortality. However, the inequality becomes even more apparent when the researcher comes to find that “White women who did not complete high school have a lower infant mortality rate than Black college graduates, and the Black-White ratio for infant mortality increases with level of education: Black college graduates have an infant mortality rate that is 2.7 times the rate of their White counterparts.” (Williams, David R.). This information reflects how even after black women receive a college education, they continue to fall behind. Black women are more likely to experience much more stress as opposed to their white counterparts. This stress can be due to financial reasons, or relationships at home. However, when pregnant women undergo large amounts of stress, this can lead to negative effects on their unborn child. The article also shines light on the comparison between Hispanic and black women, both tend to earn less money than white women who fall into the same level of education. (Williams, David R.) Of course, this can play a role in the care they provide for their infants, thus affecting their chances of survival. Not only do these women face inequalities in health but they may also experience inequalities in the workplace as well, even when they are educated. Racial disparities are examined between Hispanic and Asian women due to their higher rates of pregnancy mortality when compared to white mothers, however, the high rates were even greater for black women (Williams, David). This racial disparity is a clear indication that being a woman of color comes with the burden of racism, especially in the health area.
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Throughout history, reproductive autonomy has been a never-ending battle with an unacceptable society that feels entitled to have input on choices that do not concern them.
In the article, The Invisible Classes in High Stakes Reproduction, two professors named Naomi Cahn and June Carbone mention how, “the poor bear the brunt of the ideological war over contraception and abortion restrictions” (Goodwin, Michele). Unfortunately, because a large population of African American women are poor, the lack of access to contraceptive care results in high maternal rates. Contraceptive care has been a challenge to overcome, and it should not be in question when women run the risk of adding more difficulties into their life. When these women face unwanted pregnancies, their chances of upward mobility decline by providing for their child. These poor women then fall into the issues concerning intersectionality, due to the oppression they are predisposed to receive. In the article, readers can recognize the difference between the criminal punishment of a black mother compared to a white mother. When a black mother named Shanesha Taylor, left her children in a car while attending a job interview, she was immediately arrested and prosecutors were extremely stubborn in refusing to drop the charges. Her arrest was done without compassion, and authorities had failed to realize that she was only trying to build a better life for her family. On the other hand, a white mother received sympathy after driving away and forgetting her infant on the roof of her car while being under the influence of drugs, after putting the infant's life in great danger, this woman only received probation (Goodwin, Michele). Shanesha Taylor is just one of the many examples of how black women struggle in the system. Due to racial stereotypes, black women are targeted to face unfair punishment by the state, for nonmalicious intent. This intersectionality becomes a greater problem when it comes to being a mother in a society that constantly views African Americans in a negative way. Unfortunately, when prosecutors do not deal with such cases in an equal approach, the conditions for these women only get worse over time.
Society has instilled an image of what being a mother is supposed to be like. And when women decide to handle situations involving maternity differently, they usually receive heavy judgment for their decisions. It is common for African American women to be the head of the household, this means that their family is heavily reliant on what they earn. With that being said, what happens to those women who decide that they are not ready for motherhood, or that they want to become a surrogate in order to gain some extra income? Such decisions then become deemed negatively, and the judgment they receive by society tears women down. African American people are already at a disadvantage in the eyes of the law, however black women are bound to receive additional disadvantage when maternity is involved. In the article, The Bad Mother: Stigma, Abortion, and Surrogacy, researcher Paula Abraham examines how stigma affects women, “It argues that evidence of stigma is relevant to determining whether laws regulating abortion or surrogacy are based on impermissible stereotyping” (Abraham, Paula). Women who choose the surrogacy or abortion path are then labeled as bad mothers because of their decisions to “abandon” their baby, or “sell” what they’re bodies are capable of producing. The article also includes the effects of social stigma, researchers Bruce Link and Jo Phelan explain, “the dominant culture acts to label and stereotype undesirable behavior or characteristics and these actions lead to isolation and status loss or discrimination for those identified as ‘other’” (Abraham, Paula). As mentioned before, African American women tend to struggle the most in the economic field, therefore, society needs to realize that when a woman decides to make a choice, there is no need for additional judgment that only makes their decisions much more difficult then they have to be. There is also no need for additional discrimination towards this population, such negative attitudes only end up becoming normalized, and conditions continue to worsen more than they already have.
It is ironic how even after African American women receive a college education, they somehow continue to fall behind their counterparts. Without a doubt, I feel as if it is because of racism that continues to bring hardship in their lives. It is racism that affects them in the workplace by causing them to earn less as compared to women of other races. It also affects them when they seek medical care and the quality of treatment they receive is determined by their race. Additionally, these women are further affected by the law that does not give compassion and it prevents thriving. In order to improve the conditions of disadvantaged women, policies should consider their other struggles. The emphasis on the difficulties of being a black woman does not end, therefore, such policies should focus more on equal access in education, and even then, workplaces should be educated in giving equality towards all women.
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