Publications
Document Type
Article
Abstract
Black women in the United States face disproportionately high rates of maternal mortality, driven by structural racism, patient-provider mistreatment, and gendered and racial discrimination. However, little research has explored Black mothers’ perceptions of maternal health care services and structural racism in the Southeastern U.S. This study aims to address this gap by examining Black mothers’ maternal health care experiences in South Carolina. Using semi-structured interviews conducted during the summer of 2023 with Black mothers who had given birth within the previous five years, this qualitative study employed grounded theory to analyze recurring themes in their maternal health care experiences. The study utilized Critical Race Theory and Black Feminist Thought to frame and interpret these experiences. Three major themes emerged: navigating health care access and quality, engaging interpersonal dynamics and support systems, and confronting structural racism and systemic barriers. Participants described communication delays, impersonal interactions, and frustrations with limited access to culturally competent care. Racial concordance with health care providers was preferred but often unavailable. Community-based support, such as doulas and midwives, particularly those racially concordant, improved experiences, while racial discrimination in health care settings remained prevalent. This study highlights the need for culturally competent care, greater racial concordance in provider selection, and systemic reforms to address structural racism. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of racial disparities in maternal health and provide insights for future research and policy reform aimed at improving outcomes for Black mothers.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Publication Info
Published in Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 2026.
APA Citation
Tindall, J., Browne, T., Felder, T. M., Woo, B., & Alexander-Richardson, B. (2026). Judge me not: Exploring Black mothers’ perceptions of maternal health care services and structural racism in South Carolina. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-026-02933-z
Rights
© The Author(s) 2026 This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.