"Toxic: A Black Woman’s Story" Film Screening and Community Discussion - 6pm

The University of Michigan Health – West Department of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and the Office of Health Equity, in partnership with Consult Me and Celebration Cinema, are excited to bring the 2019 short film Toxic: A Black Woman’s Story to our community!

Toxic: A Black Woman’s Story (2019) explores some of the factors that impact many black women’s experiences during pregnancy and seeks to raise consciousness about structural racism and the factors that impact infant mortality by shedding light on the faces of parents who deal with infant loss.

Infant mortality is the death of an infant before their first birthday. Often considered a key indicator of the overall health of a region, the infant mortality rate is the number of infant deaths for every 1,000 live births Stress on mothers before and during pregnancy can negatively affect birth outcomes — and racial inequities increase these risks.

Maternal mortality rates, too, reflect this disparity. According to recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports, black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women. Healthcare professionals estimate that as many as 60 percent of maternal deaths are preventable.

Learn more about Toxic: A Black Woman’s Story here