Free Black maternal wellness summit to address health, finances in Greensboro

A free Black Maternal Wellness and Financial Summit brought health care, money matters and family support under one roof at Presbyterian Church of the Cross in Greensboro, offering practical help in a county where Black infants account for 70% of infant mortality.

Held on Phillips Avenue and sponsored by the Greensboro Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, the Saturday morning event ran from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and centered on a public health problem that remains stark nationwide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Black women are three times more likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause than White women, and more than 80% of pregnancy-related deaths in the United States are considered preventable.

That urgency carried special weight in Guilford County. County officials say the infant mortality rate here is 9.2 deaths per 1,000 live births, higher than the state and national averages. Black infants make up the majority of those deaths, a disparity that has pushed local advocates to connect maternal care with broader support systems that can help families before, during and after pregnancy.

The summit reflected that approach by pairing health education with financial empowerment. Organizers said the program included sessions on Black maternal health, overall wellness and financial literacy, along with breakout discussions led by financial experts from Omega Psi Phi’s Tau Omega Chapter in Greensboro. A fatherhood discussion called Real Men, Real Talk gave fathers a place to ask questions about how to support their wives and partners, and a mental-health specialist was available for one-on-one conversations.

Organizers also emphasized that the summit was open to anyone, not just parents. Relatives, caregivers and friends were encouraged to attend because support for Black mothers often depends on the people around them being able to recognize warning signs, connect families to care and help navigate the costs and stress that can come with pregnancy and childbirth.

The timing followed Black Maternal Health Week, recognized each year from April 11 to April 17, a week that has drawn more attention to the racial gap in outcomes. KFF reported that in 2023, the pregnancy-related mortality rate for Black women was 49.4 per 100,000 live births, compared with 14.9 for White women. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has also noted that Black birthing people are more likely to face dangerous complications such as preeclampsia, postpartum hemorrhage and blood clots, and that nearly half of maternal deaths happen within the first year after birth.

The Greensboro Alumnae Chapter said the summit was meant to be a safe, loving space to learn, ask questions, share stories and gather tools for families today and future generations. In Guilford County, where health outcomes and household finances often collide, that combination made the event more than a gathering. It was a direct response to a crisis that remains too costly, and too preventable, to ignore.