![](https://erikmcgregor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/EM-200709-JusticeforShaAsia-007.jpg)
Brooklyn, NY – Family members, activists and concerned citizens gathered outside Woodhull Hospital on July 9, 2020 holding a rally to demand justice for Sha-Asia Washington, a 26-year-old Black New Yorker, who died on July 3 during childbirth at a the Brooklyn hospital.
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According to 4Kira4Moms, an organization combatting maternal mortality and raising awareness about it as a human rights issue, Washington died while undergoing a C-section.
![](https://erikmcgregor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/EM-200709-JusticeforShaAsia-003.jpg)
She had gone to the hospital with high blood pressure but wasn’t given medication for two days, 4Kira4Moms’ Instagram page says.
The tragedy illustrates a persistent disparity among women of color in the US, who are three to four more times likely to die from pregnancy- and childbirth-related complications than white women.
![](https://erikmcgregor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/EM-200709-JusticeforShaAsia-017.jpg)
No matter the exact cause of Washington’s death, however, the tragedy is part of a larger trend: While pregnancy- and childbirth-related deaths are rare, women of color are disproportionately susceptible.
![](https://erikmcgregor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/EM-200709-JusticeforShaAsia-025.jpg)
It’s unclear exactly how or why Washington died, but some blame the hospital for mistreating her due to the color of her skin. A statement the hospital provided said patient privacy and confidentiality laws prevent it from sharing any details about Washington’s death.
![](https://erikmcgregor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/EM-200709-JusticeforShaAsia-027.jpg)
Since January, New York has lost at least three Black mothers due to childbirth related deaths: in July, Sha-Asia Washington died during a Cesarean birth at Woodhull Hospital; in April, Amber Rose Isaac died during a Cesarean birth at Montefiore Medical Center; and in March, Cordielle Street died a week after she gave birth due to complications.
![](https://erikmcgregor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/EM-200709-JusticeforShaAsia-013.jpg)
Their deaths are the direct result of racism that has led to a Black maternal mortality crisis in New York and the United States, as a whole: Black women, nationally, are at least three times more likely to die from pregnancy and birth related complications–in New York, this number is closer to twelve times–and 50% more likely to suffer severe pregnancy and birth complications than white women.
![Family demands justice for Sha-Asia Washington](https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50095004556_8687e01b34_o.jpg)
© Erik McGregor – erikrivas@hotmail.com – 917-225-8963