Meet the Women Fighting to Save Black Mothers: 'There's a Lot of Work to Do'

"Studies show that the gap between Black and white infant death rates in the country has widened over the last 30 years. Although some past studies point to genetics as the cause, recent research suggests that it may be chronic stress brought on by societal oppression, including “experiences of racism,” according to a study published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine in 2008. “It’s been established that Black women are at higher risk for this and, at the same time, that’s not something the medical community is always aware of or responding to,” Priska Neely, a senior reporter covering early childhood for public radio station KPCC, tells PEOPLE. “There’s a lack of awareness about how this is connected to larger societal issues.”