In Her Honor brings stories of Black mothers lost to maternal mortality to Detroit

Detroit's Mothering Justice and the ARIAH Foundation are hosting In Her Honor, a three-day series of events including a documentary screening, gala and art exhibition honoring Black mothers who died from pregnancy-related complications. Organizers cite CDC data showing Black women are three times more likely to die from such causes than white women, and that 80% of these deaths are preventable.

The Detroit stop, the seventh on a national tour, includes a screening of the documentary 'Aftershock' about Shamony Gibson, who died 13 days after childbirth, alongside portraits and personal stories at the group's Division Street exhibition space. Organizers point to 15 Michigan counties with little or no birth-care access, recent Planned Parenthood clinic closures, and federal Medicaid cuts as compounding factors.

Mothering Justice's founder credited state measures like the Rx Kids cash program and 'Momnibus' legislation as steps forward, while saying they don't offset a federal administration she says underinvests in prenatal and postnatal care.

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