The data is sobering: Milwaukee ranks among the worst places in the nation for a Black woman to have a child. Study after study has confirmed the reality, including a 2020 index by African American Leadership Alliance Milwaukee (AALAM).

So, how did we get here? And what can be done to reverse the trend?

In this episode, hosts Tarik Moody, Kim Shine and Reggie Jackson bring together leaders from the medical and arts communities, each with firsthand experience in the delivery room. First, Kim speaks with certified nurse midwife LuVerda Martin to learn how medical practitioners build trust with Black mothers. Then, Geraud Blanks of Milwaukee Film joins the conversation to speak about the Black Birth Maternal & Infant Health Symposium, set to return March 25. Each share how they're intentionally working to build trust in a historically underserved community.

If you'd like to continue the conversation, we encourage you to join our By Every Measure discussion group on Radio Milwaukee's Facebook page. Each week, we open a dialogue on the episode's topic with daily conversation prompts and a virtual meet-up to discuss responses and navigate the community conversations collectively.

"The Index of African American Well-Being," sponsored by AALAM, is an examination of African American community well-being in Milwaukee compared with the nation’s 50 largest metropolitan areas. You can find the full report here.