The United States infant mortality rate is higher than in other countries. Well educated African American women have birth outcomes worse than white women who haven’t finished high school. Although we know that health follow wealth, for African American women who are well-educated, racism plays a factor in birth outcome.

According to Neonatologists James Collins and Richard David, African American women are at increased risk during pregnancy, not because of something innate to their biology, but because of the cumulative impact of racism they experience over their lifetime – an impact that can outweigh even the benefits of higher social and class status.*

Source: PBS.org