Health Experts Answer Women's Questions at Black Mamas Matter Event

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Editor's Note: The following was originally published in the March 12, 2025, edition of Capital B Gary's newsletter. Click here to read the full newsletter.

Happy Women’s History Month, Gary!

This weekend, we hosted Black Mamas Matter, a powerful panel discussion about maternal health, an urgent issue that impacts many Gary women.

As we have learned through the previous year of reporting on this topic, Black women in Indiana die at higher rates than white women, according to the state’s maternal mortality review committee. But why is that, and what can be done to address it? That’s what our series of community events and corresponding articles aim to find out.

In contrast to the first event, “Black Moms and Mimosas,” which hosted a private women’s circle to share experiences and questions among peers, this weekend’s panel invited local health experts to share their professional knowledge, resources, and answers to some hard-hitting questions.

Our panelists, rooted in advocacy, were transparent about key information that is not often shared, but is essential for pregnant women to know:

• Bianca Wilson, a birthing doula, spoke about the need for more women to be made aware of the benefits of using a doula for their birthing experiences, citing they have helped create positive birthing outcomes. They also provide support not only for babies, but postpartum assistance for mothers as well, who, she says, can often struggle with postpartum depression.
• Dr. Maya Dominique, an OB-GYN, spoke to the importance of healthy diets, and nutritious meals during pregnancy, as everything the mother eats, the baby eats, too. Citing links between diet and pregnancy complications like preeclampsia, she stressed that diet plays a significant role in healthy birth outcomes, and living in a food desert like Gary can contribute to those risks.
• Finally, Glynis Adams, the assistant director of perinatal services at Methodist Hospital, spoke to the importance of advocating for yourself, in and out of the hospital room. Physicians need more cultural competencies, she said, to relate to and listen to Black patients, which can make all the difference.

Despite the differences in their respective fields, the panelists all agreed that having more conversations about Black maternal health was necessary to tackle the alarming disparities growing in our community.

At the end of the event, in honor of International Women’s Day (March 8), we each spoke about a woman in our lives who had left an indelible mark on our journeys. I chose to honor my mom. She is the reason I chose to tackle the topic of Black maternal health in Gary, and why organizing events like Saturday’s hits so close to home.

Moreover, I was proud of our attendees for showing up and sharing their voices. One thing I have come to learn (and love!) about people from Gary: They are never afraid to speak their mind.