The Abundant Birth Project is a novel step aimed towards ending the structural #racialinjustices in San Francisco. The program promises a basic income of $1000 to black and pacific island mothers during pregnancy until six months after the birth of a child. It is the first project of its kind, set to achieve better maternal health and eliminate infant birth defects in marginalized communities.
According to a 2018-2019 report by Expecting Justice, a collective impact initiative, black infants are twice as likely to be born prematurely as compared to white infants (15.9% vs. 7.3%). Pacific Islander infants have also shown higher risk than white infants from 2012-2016 and are 10.4% likely to be born prematurely.
These health disparities in black and pacific islander communities are finally being recognized. Mayor London Breed seems to be on board with the objective of eliminating racial injustices through Abundant Birth. She said when announcing the program, "the Abundant Birth Project is rooted in racial justice and recognizes that Black and Pacific Islander mothers suffer disparate health impacts, in part because of the persistent wealth and income gap."
It is important to note that the project does not burden the city's resources either. The project entered its design phase only after it received a Hellman Collaborative Change Initiative grant from the Hellman Foundation. The initiative has so far received close to $2 million of additional donations from various foundations. So the project is essentially a private-public partnership. The finances are covered predominantly through donations and charity.
The project can serve as a helpful form of financial assistance to several low-income families. Surveys in San Francisco have shown that median income for black and pacific islander households is eclipsed by median income citywide. Black and Pacific Islander families earn $30,000 and $67,000 as compared to $104,000 citywide. Abundant Birth helps to bridge that wage gap.
The project pledges to provide "unconditional" basic income to pregnant women from the selected communities. The provision is helpful to low income families as there are no checks on where the money is spent. The women eligible for the aid can make independent choices on how to help out their families.
The Abundant Birth Project is a huge practical step towards San Francisco's ending systemic inequalities among different races. Ending racial injustices specially in trying times like these is important for achieving equality and improving quality of life for all. As Dr Zea Malawa, head of Expecting Justice, put it, "It is exciting to be in a city that not only calls out racism as a problem, but also takes steps to heal the wounds left by decades of injustice and anti-Black sentiment."
