
Hundreds of leaders are gathering in Sacramento for the California Black Birth Equity Summit, focusing on addressing the disparities in maternal health outcomes for Black women in the state. Organizers say California has one of the largest gaps in maternal deaths in the country, with Black women being three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy complications than white women. The summit aims to develop better care strategies for Black pregnant women, emphasizing Black-led solutions that save lives."We wanted to come to Sacramento to be able to engage our elected officials," said Mashariki Kudumu, a representative of the California Black Birth Equity Summit. We see the rollback of safety net programs for mothers and babies, civil rights rollbacks. And we have our biggest attendance, we have had double the amount of sponsors, because people know this is an issue."The summit continues Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel