John,

Yesterday marked the beginning of Black Maternal Health Week. And as many of you know, this is a topic deeply personal to me.

Structural racism in our health care system nearly killed my mother when she gave birth to me. But while my story is one of resilience, the story of structural racism in our health care system is all too common for Black women in America.

Right now, Black women are dying at a rate 3 to 4 times that of white women. In the richest nation in the world, it’s unacceptable that so many of our women are dying — especially Black women, who have been historically ignored, left behind, and cast aside in a health care system permeated by systemic racism.

We must do better. I’m proud to have co-sponsored legislation to address maternal mortality and will continue speaking out against racism in all of its forms. But we still have so much work left to do.

Will you make a donation of $10 or any amount you can afford to join me in fighting for a more equitable future for all?

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Thank you for all that you do.

In solidarity,

Barbara Lee