 Well, ladies and gentlemen esteemed members of the press and valued constituents, I stand before you today with a heart full of hope and determination as we announced the inaugural Columbia Black Maternal Health Week. This initiative was inspired by a constituent who reached out to me who is in the audience, Ms. Ebony, sharing her class presentation on the dire state of Black paternal health in our community, requesting us to do something about it. And as a first-time mom and public health researcher myself, this issue hits close to home. The disparities in Black maternal health outcomes here in South Carolina are staggering. You'll hear a little bit more about some statistics, but Black women are three or four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications compared to white women. And there are a multitude of reasons why, including a lack of access to health care, discrimination in health care, lack of access to resources such as transportation and housing, and stressors that are often associated with poverty. This is unacceptable, and I passionately believe that it is our duty as elected officials to do our part to address this injustice head-on. Every year, Black Maternal Health Week runs from April 11th through 17th. This yearly event was started by the Black Mamas Matter Enhanced Alliance, a collection of Black women-led organizations whose work is deeply rooted in reproductive justice, birth justice, and the human rights framework. The purpose of this week is to raise awareness, activism, and also connect with our own community on very real maternal health issues that mothers face, both personally and when seeking health care. Recognition of this week is just one more effort in a series of commitments from this City Council to tackle the root causes of health disparities. We understand that issues like food insecurity, violence, heart health are all interconnected, and we are proud to be dedicated to addressing them comprehensively. I'm proud to partner with my colleagues, Councilwoman Tina Herbert and Mayor Rickamon, who have been champions of these causes. You may have heard about some of their projects, such as the Blue Zone Initiative, the Mobile Food Market, and the Office of Violent Crime Prevention. It's all connected. But let us not forget that the City is just one small piece of the puzzle. It is the collective effort of our community organizations, advocates, and individuals that will truly make a difference. And when we come together, that's when the magic happens. So today we are especially honored to have two remarkable world community members who will be representing the hard work that has been happening well before the City got involved in this cause. The first is Rose Sims, the founder of the local group, the Black Maternal Health Collective. She has been a tireless advocate for maternal health in our community, and we are thrilled to partner with her on the mom's market, which you'll hear more about. Additionally, we have Dr. Clary Claudia Allen, a dedicated OBGYN, who has been on the front lines of advocating for women's health and reproductive rights. I'm grateful to call both of these women my friends. So I encourage all of you to come out and engage with the collective's events throughout the week, and of course, our partner event with them, the mom's market. In closing, I want to take a moment to recognize all of the amazing advocates standing behind us and in the audience, the sponsors, leaders, and partners who have helped make this initiative possible, ranging from our local health system to state officials like Representative Garvin and to the faith-based community. Your dedication and passion are an inspiration to us all and is a testament to great things happening in the City. Thank you for your time today. Let us continue to work together towards a future where every mother, regardless of zip code background, race or ethnicity, has access to the care and support she deserves. I will now pass it over to Councilwoman Herbert. Thank you, Dr. Vussels. About 15 years ago, the local legal community was stunned by the passing of Ms. Carrie Rose. Carrie was a black female attorney who had previously worked at the firm that I worked at, McGanga, Scott, Lock and Quarry, so that's how I knew of her, and then had ventured out on her own. No one could have anticipated, including myself, that this young lawyer, with a bright future, would die during her child's birth. I distinctly remember asking, what does that mean? Because I had never heard of the concept of passing while during childbirth, except you had some extenuating circumstances. That is why Black Maternal Health Week is important to me. While I am personally beyond the childbearing age, my daughter is not. My cousins are not. And so this impacts us deeply, and I want them to have the knowledge. Another reason that Black Maternal Health Week is important is because the state of South Carolina has determined that 80% of these deaths were preventable. And so that means we need to get the word out, and I'm truly happy to be here as a part of it. Finally, Black Maternal Health Week underscores yet another health disparity, as you mentioned, Dr. Bussells, that impacts African Americans in the city. People often limit health disparities to health, but they also contribute to a decreased quality of life. And most importantly to me, wealth creation and maintenance. Good health correlates to income and wealth is what I typically say. And your income and wealth determines where you live. And where you live determines where your children will go to school. And where your children go to school will contribute and determine where your child gets a job. And it is a cyclical impact. So I am grateful Dr. Bussells and Ms. Ebony for the opportunity to be here and help bring awareness to this issue. I hope that by us bringing awareness that others are challenged to do the same. Thank you. We're delighted to stand before you to kick off the first Black Maternal Health Week celebration honoring National Black Maternal Health Week, which started in 2018, Black Black Mamas Matter. I am Rose Sims, the founder of the Black Maternal Health Collective. And those who stand behind me are the backs that I stand on. I must say, when we started our talks on bringing the voice behind the week for our community, we didn't at all imagine the support that we would receive from our city. It has been inspiring to know that so many around our state are concerned about what we see happening in our communities for Black and Brown families. We say as a collective, it is not all about the events but about the movement that comes after they have taken place. There is much work to do. We at the Collective, which includes moms, fathers, families, those with lived experience, patient organizations, community birth workers, physicians, researchers, and advocates of light, stand here in unity to ensure the outcomes for our city change. We are grateful for our partners like the City of Columbia, St. Laflora Midwifery, Health Evolve, Earth Body and Soul, Dulas, Black Dula Collective of Columbia, the Mamas Voices Program with the Proclampsia Foundation, March of Dimes, Health and Start of the Midlands, Life After Birth, E-Vision and Coaching by Dr. Cary, Tranquility, Wellness and Center, Prisma Health, and to the amazing sponsors that supported the vision of Black Maternal Health Week. At this time, I would like to recognize the Collective who stand behind me. So if you can wave your hand as I call your name, Kim Smith, Candice Drew, Tiffany Townsend. So Tiffany is one of the only Black midwives in the state of South Carolina and I have to say that because I honor her footsteps that she continues to pay in South Carolina. Amy Caldwell, Ashley White, Dr. Cary, and Latoya Lindsey. So myself, Rhonda Sims, also representing Mamas Voices who continue to elevate patient voices and quality improvement in maternal health. Thank you for all that you do. Many of them serve in the day-to-day and the life of the families impacted by inequalities, lack of access of quality care for our families. I am excited to share this week's events that honor and advocate, educate and connect the community with resources to better ensure better outcomes for our state. This week's schedule will kick off today at the University of South Carolina in partnership with the Black Medical Student Association. Tumi Koger, who has led efforts with this, with collaboration with me, I am thankful for her and she could not be here for a family emergency. We will kick off today with a forum on the future of Black maternal health from 6 to 8 p.m. at Bate West Social Down University's campus. On Saturday, April the 6th is our amazing mom's market, partnered with the City of Columbia. It will be held at Drew Wellness Center from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and it would include vendors that support mothers and babies in all aspects of wellness and health. We will also have health sprainers from Prisma, a kid's corner, as we are supporting moms, a food truck, a live DJ, and panel discussions around real moms and experts on mental health, building a community of birth worker villages, and igniting the power of your voice, and sharing many of the Black joy birthing stories that we often don't hear. On April the 7th, Sunday, is a dedication of yoga and the park practice in the park led by an instructor and a bubble release honoring those who lost their lives in inequity in maternal health. On Thursday, Dr. Kerry and Dr. Ravinelle will lead a Talk with Doc series, which is an open series, led by them in an open dialogue on birthing, creating a birth plan, navigating hospitals, and safe labor practices. On April the 13th, will be a community viewing for birthing justice film, which is a national film that is taking place at the epic center of events. We will have a Q and A to follow and lunch will be provided. On Wednesday, April the 17th, will be a Talk to Doc series part two, another open dialogue with doctors on unmedicated versus medicated birth, how to advocate for yourself, and how to choose a care team which supports you during pregnancy and after pregnancy. So we hope that you all will join us and support us in these efforts and we thank you for your continued support. Ladies and gentlemen, as a physician who delivers babies right here in our community, I am honored to stand before you representing the tireless efforts aimed at addressing the alarming disparities within maternal health care. For years, I have been fervently advocating for women's health through education, advocacy, research, and direct patient care, but in November 2023, the fight became deeply personal. As I became a mother for the first time, I witnessed firsthand the gaping chasms within our health care system, particularly concerning black mothers. Despite being a medical professional myself, I too navigated the complexities of pregnancy and postpartum care. Will my doctor listen and hear my concerns? Will the hospital staff recognize and respond quickly if something happens to me during labor? Because I knew the abysmal statistics. I knew that black women died at 400 percent higher rate from childbirth related complications. But I did find compassionate care. I found doctors committed to delivering the highest quality of care I could have asked for. And community-based birth workers, my doula and lactation consultants, who supported me through my postpartum journey. While sadly that is not the outcome for all of us, that is what has motivated my colleagues and I to come together for Black Maternal Health Week. This week holds profound significance as it provides an opportunity for women to empower themselves with knowledge, resources, and personal engagement with physicians like myself, who are actively working to transform our health care system. But this week does something even greater than that. It gives us the space to infuse joy and hope back into Black mothers. While we will raise awareness of the issues, we are also going to honor and celebrate the unsun institution of Black motherhood and reimagine what it means not only to survive but to thrive in birthing and raising our children. I am profoundly grateful to the City of Columbia and the esteemed elected officials, Mayor Rickenman, Councilman Bussells, and Councilman Herbert, who have generously provided us with this platform to amplify our voices and increase visibility around this crucial issue. I'd also like to thank Representative Garvin for declaring Black Maternal Health Week in the State of South Carolina in starting in 2019. Your unwavering support underscores the collective commitment towards achieving equitable health care outcomes for all mothers, regardless of race or socioeconomic status. I cannot be more proud of our city and the collective of Black mothers who have come together to make this possible. I'll leave you with the African proverb. If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. As we embark on this journey together, let us remain steadfast in our resolve to dismantle barriers and create a health care system that is inclusive, accessible, safe, and supportive of every mother's journey. Thank you. Awareness prevents deaths, and that is all I want to say. I hope that everyone listens. I hope that for our community that we spread the word about maternal health, Black maternal health, and what that means, because prevention is key and awareness-safes lives. Thank you. Good morning, everyone. My name is Canberra Garvin, South Carolina House District 77. It's great to be here, and it's great to be here because this is an issue that we have been advocating for at the state level for, as Dr. Kerry said, almost the last five or six years. Really trying to raise awareness, and I think it's finally starting to take on new significance for so many. So a special thank you to the city of Columbia for elevating this issue, and thank you to the Collective for all of the work that you all do day in and day out to ensure that Black women, when they go into medical care and go into childbirth, that they have the ability to survive, that they have the ability to be respected, and that their doctors listen to them. We will continue to do our part at the state level, and again, thank you to our partners here in the city of Columbia for also amplifying this issue. Another great day in Columbia, South Carolina. I tell you, this is why the city is going to be the number one city in South Carolina, is because our constituents, our residents, our neighborhoods, our business, our leaders come together on an issue, and I just want to give ladies from the Collective another hand. There's just nothing better than to have a community collaborate together to tackle an issue, and you know, it's always amazing to stand behind a group of women who are not only attacking an issue, but they are showing our younger folks that you can do whatever you want to by putting your mind to it and working together, and I think you're right on. You can do it fast by yourself, but you go a lot further together, and I think that was a great proverb to say. With that, I have the great honor. Black Mamas Matter Alliance, BMMA, is a national network of Black women led organizations and multidisciplinary professionals who work to ensure that all Black mamas have the rights, respect, and the resources, rights, respect, and resources. Remember those three, please, to thrive before, during, and after pregnancy. As BMMA honors the work and historical contribution of Black women leadership within their community and the values the need to amplify this work on a national scale, whereas when investing in Black mamas, we're pouring into the roots that act as the foundational strength of Black families and systems of care. We recognize, celebrate, and support. We're going to recognize, we're going to support, and we're going to celebrate everything that these organizations do together in our community. And those care for mothers, our families, communities, whether they have given birth or not. We stand in solidarity with Black mamas. So with that, as I, the mayor of Columbia, along with my city council members do hereby proclaim April 11th through 17th, 2024 is Black Maternal Health Week, and I would like the collective to take this proclamation collectively as a way to say thank you for all your hard work.