The Howard University men’s basketball is joining the fight to protect Black maternal health as the nation faces a crisis that leaves Black women at high risk for pregnancy-related complications and death.
The team will host a special event ahead of Martin Luther King Jr. Day with the organization Mamatoto Village that is focused on combating racism and health disparities for Black mothers. The event will be held Sunday in Washington DC, with the team helping to package pregnancy care kits.
Howard team coaches say the players decided to focus on the issue after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year – a controversial decision that is expected to leave millions of Black and brown women without access to abortion care.
In many states, Black and Hispanic women receive abortions at higher rates than White women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which collects data from state health agencies.