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When Dr. Mackenzie Boyce—a physician herself—was nearly discharged from the hospital with undiagnosed preeclampsia just four days after giving birth, she realized a terrifying truth: medical training and knowledge couldn't protect her from a healthcare system that routinely fails Black women.

The Hot Comb Survivors gather with two medical professionals to unpack the crisis of Black maternal health in America. Dr. Paige Long-Sharps, an OBGYN with decades of clinical experience, doesn't mince words about what's driving maternal mortality rates that are three times higher for Black women: "Absolute racism in this country. There's no ifs, ands, or buts about it."

Through Mackenzie's harrowing personal story, we witness how racial bias manifests in real-time—delayed care, dismissed symptoms, and dangerous discharge decisions that could have cost her life. Her experience confirms what statistics have long shown: being educated, affluent, or even medically trained doesn't shield Black women from the devastating impacts of healthcare bias.

The conversation moves beyond problems to solutions, exploring how advocacy, better mental health support, and consumer power can create change. Mental health emerges as a surprising leading cause of maternal mortality, with women often left without support during the critical weeks after birth. The group proposes revolutionary ideas like postpartum mental health check-ins within days of delivery and developing an app to help women navigate maternal healthcare.

Most powerfully, they remind us that economic pressure works. "We have to believe in our consumer power," one panelist notes, encouraging Black women to research hospital statistics, build relationships with providers who listen, and share information about their experiences—because hitting healthcare systems in their pocketbooks may be the most effective path to transformation.

Join this essential conversation about truth, trash, and transformation in maternal healthcare—where acknowledging hard truths leads to life-saving action for Black mothers and their babies.