President Joe Biden declared this week Black Maternal Health Week, shining a light on deep disparities that have persisted for generation, including in New Jersey.
The Garden State’s maternal mortality rates are among the worst in the nation — ranked 47 out of 50 states in maternal deaths. And a Black mother in New Jersey is seven times more likely to die from maternity-related complications than a white mother.
New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy is now leading the charge locally to reduce the rate of women dying from childbirth causes in the state by 50% in five years.