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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Members of the Black Mamas Community Collective |
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(BMCC) are gathering at the State Capitol on April 15, 2019; and |
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WHEREAS, The BMCC is working to reduce the alarming rates of |
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maternal mortality and morbidity among African American women in |
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Travis County; composed primarily of black women who have survived |
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their own pregnancy and childbirth traumas, the group includes |
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researchers, social workers, policy makers, public health |
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professionals, and community activists who share a commitment to |
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addressing health disparities and inequities that threaten the |
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lives of black women; and |
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WHEREAS, The urgency of the group's work is underscored by |
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several sobering statistics; although black children make up just |
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11 percent of births in Texas, nearly 30 percent of Texas women who |
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die from pregnancy-related complications are black; African |
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American women in Texas experience higher rates of pre-pregnancy |
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obesity and maternal hypertension, have less access to prenatal |
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care, and deliver infants with low birth weights at a rate of 13.9 |
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percent, compared to 8.4 percent for all Texas births; and |
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WHEREAS, Black mothers are also at a greater risk of |
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developing postpartum depression than women of other races; most |
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troubling of all, black infants die at a rate of 10.9 for every |
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1,000 infants, which is nearly double the rate of 5.7 for all Texas |
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infant deaths; and |
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WHEREAS, Refusing to stand idle in the face of these |
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injustices, the BMCC is leading a movement to prevent black mothers |
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and infants in Travis County from falling victim to health care |
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inequality; through programs, training, outreach, research, and |
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awareness initiatives, the group is providing black mothers with |
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information and resources that can help ensure a healthy pregnancy |
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and delivery, while also working to identify flaws in the |
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community's health care system that allow racial disparities to |
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persist; and |
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WHEREAS, The Black Mamas Community Collective is calling |
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attention to a public health issue of vital importance to our state, |
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and in so doing, it is serving as a strong and impassioned voice for |
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the well-being of countless vulnerable women and children; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor the Black Mamas Community Collective on |
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the occasion of its visit to the State Capitol and commend the group |
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for its unyielding efforts to improve health outcomes for black |
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mothers and children; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for the BMCC as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |
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Cole |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 1086 was adopted by the House on April |
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15, 2019, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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