HIGH RISK
Black Mothers Protecting Themselves and Their Babies
A documentary film addressing the high maternal mortality rate of Black women in the United States
In “High Risk,” we explore natural methods and best practices proven to protect Black mothers from prenatal to postpartum care. The ultimate goal of our documentary is to empower Black women through education, making them aware of numerous strategies to use with confidence to advocate for themselves and their babies.
HIGH RISK PRE-RELEASE TRAILER
Click the play button on the video above to watch our trailer for the film.
Our team will interview mothers, midwives, doulas, and healthcare experts to learn how Black women of today continue the maternal legacies of their African forebears. We consider how the current healthcare system can improve by treating Black mothers with the dignity, respect and care that they deserve.
"It's basically a public health and human rights emergency because it's been estimated that a significant portion of these deaths could be prevented."
-Dr. Ana Langer, director of the Women and Health Initiative at Harvard
THE DOCUMENTARY
The United States, despite its advanced economy, has one of the worst maternal mortality rates (MMR) in the developed world. These troubling statistics are largely the result of Black mothers and infants dying at higher rates than their white counterparts.
Black mothers in the US are 3 to 4 times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related death than non-Hispanic white women. These fatal outcomes are preventable. Laws and policies severely restricting Black women’s access to quality healthcare too often result in the rising MMR. Unfortunately, Black women have little control over these factors.
In “High Risk: Black Mothers Protecting Themselves and Their Babies,” we explore Black women’s strategies for taking control of their maternal health to produce positive outcomes.
Click the button below to download our Executive Summary
THE BLACK BIRTH ART COLLECTION
This unique hand drawn art collection is being sold to raise awareness and to help finance the completion of the documentary film “High Risk: Black Mothers Protecting Themselves and Their Babies.”. Each image displays a hard but true fact that highlights birthing disparities in the U.S. You can purchase framed prints of the Black Birth Collection to display your support of a worthy cause and an amazing project.
THE ARTIST
The characters for this collection were hand drawn by 16 year old artist Karon Robinson. They celebrate Black motherhood, family and the beauty of bearing life. Karon, loves writing, drawing and skateboarding. He has Asperger’s which is on the autism spectrum, and means that he might not always be committed to social interaction but prefers to focus what he loves which is art. This is his “super power;” a zone of genius where he thrives.
As a high school junior, his goal is to attend the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design to become an animator. We are grateful to have his contribution to these amazing works and are excited to release them to the public.
MAKE A DONATION
We are currently raising money for the completion of this very important project which is about 65% completed. We have conducted the interviews needed and are now in the editing phase. The funds will be used for:
Licensing music and sound design
Video editing/animation
DVD mastering
Stock footage/photos
Cover art and design
Closed caption and subtitles
No amount is too small and all that is given is truly appreciated. Click the button to contribute to this cause!
DID YOU KNOW THESE FACTS?
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Ignoring Black Women
Many stories of black maternal mortality feature women begging for help as doctors ignore them, or even laugh at them. Doctors frequently are unaware of their own bias. Even well-intentioned doctors can be accidentally racist.
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In The State of Georgia
Black maternal mortality in Georgia is 66 per 100,000. This is significantly higher than the nationwide black maternal mortality rate of 47.2 per 100,000, and more than three times as high as the overall nationwide maternal mortality rate of 20.7 per 100,000.
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Racism Directly Affects Health
Black women have higher rates of stress-related diseases, including those that can cause negative birth outcomes. Black women are more likely to have preterm labor, and black babies are more likely to die before they reach their first birthday. A 2008 study found that racism is a major factor in these disparities.
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CPS: Child Protective Services
Doctors and other care providers are more likely to call CPS on black families. Some hospitals threaten to call CPS when women do not consent to interventions they do not want. This phenomenon is much more prevalent among black families. This can deter black women from seeking care, expose them to stress and trauma, and lead to lasting suffering for their children.
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Doctors Believe Racist Myths
One study found that half of medical residents think that black people feel less pain, or feel pain differently, than white people. When doctors believe racist myths, racist treatment becomes inevitable.
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Black Mothers Can't/Won't Breastfeed
Hospitals give black babies formula nine times more frequently than white babies. Hospitals that serve black women are less likely to provide breastfeeding support or evidence-based breastfeeding care. Breastmilk can be life-saving for the most vulnerable infants, especially those born prematurely. Black babies are more likely to die and more likely to be born prematurely. Hospitals are denying them potentially life-saving care.
CONTRIBUTE TO OUR CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN IN BITCOIN!
You can help us reach our goal by giving us cryptocurrency. We are currently running a crowdfunding campaign using the new tallycoin platform. BTC is accepted and appreciated, every satoshi counts!
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OUR INTERVIEWS
With the production of this film, we’ve had the opportunity to speak with families and birth workers from across the country who have taken the time to share their thoughts with us.
WE WANT YOUR PHOTOS AND VIDEOS
PLEASE SEND US YOUR BIRTHING PHOTOS AND VIDEOS
To produce a documentary film, you need quite a few pictures and a lot of video footage to paint the picture and tell a story. We are looking for Black mothers and families that are willing to share their labor and or delivery photos and videos with us to use in this film. Please make sure that you are sending photos that you are comfortable with the general public seeing. We have no restrictions on what we will accept. Childbirth is a beautiful, natural event and we want to visually showcase this in as many different ways as possible.
All you have to do is:
Click the button
Fill out the release form ( giving us your permission to use your images )
Upload your photos or videos to the Google drive folder provided
It is a simple process. Professional videos are appreciated but NOT necessary. If you took pictures with your phone or tablet that show your experience; feel free to send them. We need as much footage and as many pictures as we can get.
** WE ARE ESPECIALLY LOOKING FOR HOME BIRTH PICS AND VIDEOS
Click the button below to send us your content!
PRODUCER/ WRITER
NICOLE CARR PH.D
Nicole Carr is an assistant professor of English at Texas A&M San Antonio. The concept for “High Risk” grew out of Carr’s own health experiences as a Black mother of two children, one a son delivered stillborn. Carr’s journey as a mother informs her scholarship on Black maternity and Black Feminisms.
She is currently at work on her first book, I Am Not Your Mammy: Black Feminist Mothering in the 21st Century. Partial support for “High Risk” is supported by Texas A&M San Antonio’s College of Arts and Sciences and the English Department.
DIRECTOR/ EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
BORN LOGIC ALLAH
Logic is a husband, father of three, a business owner and an independent film producer. As co-owner of Melaneyes Media, an independent film company that produces knowledge based, culturally enriching films and videos. He is the director of:
• Message to the People: A Story of Malcolm X
• Walk on the River: A Black History of the Alamo City
• Walk on the River 2.0: The African Influence in San Antonio, TX
Allah is also the author of the Amazon best selling book Mustle, I Must Hustle.