GOP war on women’s rights hits Black moms especially hard. Kansas, we can do better

When I was carrying my youngest son, I had to rush to the emergency room as I experienced critical, preterm bleeding. I was shocked when the doctor dismissed my concerns and told me that a “little spotting” was ”normal.” Luckily, both my son and I were completely healthy when I gave birth — but that wasn’t the case with my daughter, Ariel.

I delivered Ariel six weeks early after multiple hospital stays, and her birth resulted in an undetected tear in my uterus. At the time, I was once again told that the pain I was feeling was “normal.” However, I later received a blood transfusion, one that was made possible only because my mother was with me at the hospital and had to witness the harrowing scene of me seizing up and starting to bleed out on my bed. As if almost dying in the hospital wasn’t enough, hospital staff left a scar on Ariel’s left foot after taking a sample of her blood. When I asked a nurse about the scar, she responded with a statement I couldn’t make up myself: “Black babies have thicker skin on their heels.”

Unfortunately, I’m not alone in my experience. Black women are often dismissed, just like I was, when they have concerns about their health. The effects of that kind of disregard can be deadly, and it’s no surprise that Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women. Even with these fatal outcomes, however, extreme Republicans from Kansas to Washington, D.C., are hell-bent on worsening this health care crisis.

Kansas is one of 10 states that have yet to expand Medicaid under the historic Affordable Care Act, even though the majority of Kansans support expansion. Mere weeks ago, Republicans in the Legislature — yet again — refused to move a bill that would finally expand Medicaid out of committee. Their refusal disproportionately affects Black women, and especially Black mothers, who saw the highest increase in the maternal mortality rate across all demographic groups in 2021.

Donald Trump has normalized extremism and has set the precedent that our freedoms aren’t guaranteed. When he was in office, he sabotaged Medicaid expansion across the country, proposed cuts to Medicaid and has promised that he’ll “totally kill” the Affordable Care Act if elected to a second term — which would rip insurance coverage from more than 3 million Black Americans. And let’s not forget: Trump appointed the three Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe v. Wade, creating a reproductive health crisis. In fact, 68% of OB-GYNs say the fall of Roe has worsened their ability to manage pregnancy-related emergencies. Black women are losing their lives at a disproportionate rate because of it.

Kansans enshrined abortion rights into our state constitution in 2022, but the threat to reproductive freedom in the Sunflower State is still present. Our legislative Republicans continue to introduce new anti-abortion rights measures that would invade women’s privacy and discourage them from seeking the care they deserve. Furthermore, we must remember that depending on the outcome of November’s election, a federal ban on abortion will be on the table that would overrule the will of Kansas voters. Black women, who are already suffering because of Republicans’ cruelty, would experience even worse health outcomes and die at an even higher rate than they do now.

Luckily, our current leaders in the White House are delivering for Black women everywhere. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have allowed states to expand Medicaid postpartum coverage and have strengthened the Affordable Care Act’s protections. They launched the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline, where new and expecting moms can connect with professional counselors, and are working to diversify the maternal health workforce so Black women’s concerns are no longer pushed to the side. Every single day, the Biden-Harris administration is fulfilling its promise to reduce the disparities in Black maternal health care.

Ariel is now a medical student about to embark on her clinical rotations. As a student, she’s done hours of research on maternal outcomes for Black women. That research, paired with the story about her birth, has scared her so much that she’s afraid to ever get pregnant or give birth. I know that so many Black women across America have that same fear, and that’s why we must elect leaders who care about changing the future of Black maternal health for the better. In November, I implore Kansans to reelect President Biden, Vice President Harris and Democrats down the ticket. The lives of Black women in Kansas and across the nation depend on it.

Jeanna Repass is chair of the Kansas Democratic Party. She lives in Overland Park.