AnalarminglydisproportionatenumberofBlackwomenarefailedeveryyearbytheU.S.maternalhealthsystem.ShamonyGibsonandAmberRoseIsaacwerevibrant,excitedmothers-to-bewhosedeathsduetochildbirthcomplicationswerepreventable.Now,theirpartnersandfamiliesaredeterminedtosoundarallyingcryaroundthischillingyetlargelyignoredcrisis.
DirectorsPaulaEiseltandTonyaLewisLeefollowGibson’sandIsaac’sbereavedpartners,OmariMaynardandBruceMcIntyre,astheyfightforjusticeandbuildcommunitiesofsupport,bondingespeciallywithothersurvivingBlackfathers.Theirtragic,individualexperiencesarepunctuatedwithcondemninghistoricalcontext,showingthatgynecologyhasalong-standinghistoryofexploitingandneglectingBlackwomeninAmerica.Inthearrestingwordsofmother-to-beFeliciaEllis,“ABlackwomanhavingababyislikeaBlackmanatatrafficstopwiththepolice.”Sheemphasizesthatpayingattentionisparamount.Aftershockbringsanunsettlingrealitytotheforefrontwhileupliftingthefamilies,activists,andbirthworkerswhoarestrivingtobringinstitutionalchangeandlegislativereform.Thesemotherswillnotbeforgotten.
