12/24/2020, 6 p.m.
Kenda Sutton-EL knows that all births arenât equal in Virginia.
As a birth worker and student midwife, she has seen firsthand how âthe most joyous occasion has turned into fearâ with what she calls âhorrifyingâ mortality rates for African-American mothers and infants. As a result, the childbirth narrative for Black women is far removed from other racial groups, she says.
This problem led Ms. Sutton-EL to found Birth in Color with Nikiya Ellis in November 2018 to provide support and education to expectant Black mothers, their families, health care workers and the community at large.
Two years later, Ms. Sutton-EL, who leads the nonprofit as its first board president, says the outlook has changed for the better.