I’m not crying, you’re crying—and this Mother’s Day, our tears have never been more warranted. Friends, we are in the midst of a crisis; approximately 830 women die each day due to complications with pregnancy and childbirth, and the majority of those deaths are preventable. As The Glow Up has previously reported, the United States is currently the most dangerous place in the developed world for a woman to give birth, with black women among those at highest risk for maternal mortality—three to four times more likely than their white counterparts, in fact.
Adding to the chorus of voices trying to bring urgent attention to this literal life-and-death issue is the Rockefeller Foundation. Last week, the 106-year-old philanthropic organization launched the #WithoutMom social media campaign, “aiming to raise awareness of the crisis of maternal mortality, especially among black women, and shine a light on solutions that can save lives in the days leading up to Mother’s Day and beyond,” as read in a statement obtained by The Glow Up.
Michelle Obama, Regina King, Trevor Noah, Lupita Nyong’o, Terrell Owens and more are featured in a powerful video which compels us all to consider the incredible and irreplaceable impact mothers have upon our lives—and to imagine what we may not have become without them. Already shared by luminaries like Kerry Washington and Stacey Abrams—whose home state of Georgia has the highest mortality rate in the country—the #WithoutMom campaign is a poignant reminder of the mothers who don’t live to raise their children—and how we all suffer, as a result.
Because the world loses when we lose mothers.
The Glow Up tip: To help raise awareness about maternal mortality, please share the #WithoutMom campaign and follow The Rockefeller Center to find out what you can do to help #EndMaternalMortality.