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RILEY-THESIS-2018.Pdf SOCIETY DOES NOT R-E-S-P-E-C-T BLACK MOTHERS HISTORICALLY RACIALIZED REPRESENTATIONS AND BLACK WOMEN’S COMPROMISED OBSTETRICAL CARE by ASHLEIGH ELIZABETH RILEY THESIS Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in English at The University of Texas at Arlington December, 2018 Arlington, Texas Supervising Committee: Penelope Ingram, Supervising Professor Estee Beck Kiva Harper Riley i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I thank my Supervising Professor, Dr. Penelope Ingram, for planting a little feminist seed in my brain my first semester at the University of Texas at Arlington, supporting my growth in the years since, and supervising my thesis. Additionally, I thank my committee members, Dr. Beck and Professor Harper, for challenging me, guiding me, and (ultimately) focusing me, resulting in a more developed thesis. I, literally, could not have accomplished any of this without their encouragement and support. Lastly, this work was supported, in part, by the Emory D. Estes Endowed Scholarship. Riley ii ABSTRACT SOCIETY DOES NOT R-E-S-P-E-C-T BLACK MOTHERS HISTORICALLY RACIALIZED REPRESENTATIONS AND BLACK WOMEN’S COMPROMISED OBSTETRICAL CARE Ashleigh Elizabeth Riley, M.A. The University of Texas at Arlington, 2018 Supervising Professor: Penelope Ingram This thesis explores the correlation between racialized representations of Black women with the disparities in the level of healthcare they receive and the resulting outcomes. I argue racialized representations of Black women throughout history and into the modern-era compromise Black women’s obstetrical care, affect their reproductive freedom, and contribute to their disproportionately higher maternal mortality rates. By citing pivotal historical events and the resulting racialized tropes from the antebellum, reconstruction, and civil rights time-periods, I identify the modern-era manifestations of those representations. Using theoretical lenses associated with Black Feminist Theory, Intersectionality, and Scripting, I analyze how historically racialized representations of Black women rhetorically position their bodies at the center of reproductive freedom debates. I corroborate my argument by presenting empirical data concerning Black women’s reproductive-related disparities. Lastly, I juxtapose the empirical data with the historically racialized representations scripted onto Black women’s bodies to draw the long claim, arguing that racism, in general, and implicit bias, specifically within the medical Riley iii community, are a direct result of the scripting of Black women’s bodies with historically racialized representations, which are huge factors contributing to Black women’s compromised obstetrical care. Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 1 Methodology .............................................................................................................................. 2 Structure ................................................................................................................................ 2 Theorists and Analytical Lenses .......................................................................................... 3 Black Feminist Theory ..................................................................................................... 4 Scripting ............................................................................................................................. 5 Intersectionality................................................................................................................. 7 Counter Argument ................................................................................................................ 9 Chapter One: Historical Context .............................................................................................. 13 Pivotal Historical Events are Relevant ................................................................................. 13 Reoccurring Historical Tropes .............................................................................................. 13 Slave-Breeding......................................................................................................................... 14 Breeders, Broodmares, and Wenches ................................................................................... 15 Medicalization of Fertility Throughout History .................................................................. 16 Midwifery................................................................................................................................. 17 James Marion Sims ................................................................................................................. 20 Unethical Medical Experimentation ..................................................................................... 21 “Mississippi Appendectomy” ................................................................................................. 21 Margaret Sanger’s Legacy ..................................................................................................... 22 Welfare Queens ....................................................................................................................... 26 Chapter Two: Representation ................................................................................................... 27 Angel Adams............................................................................................................................ 27 Cheyenne Floyd ....................................................................................................................... 43 Simone Landrum .................................................................................................................... 52 Shalon Irving ........................................................................................................................... 58 Serena Williams ...................................................................................................................... 68 Chapter Three: Medicalization ................................................................................................. 75 Weathering .............................................................................................................................. 75 The Gaze .................................................................................................................................. 77 Obstetrical Hardiness ............................................................................................................. 79 Faith Based Fertility Control ................................................................................................. 84 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 88 Limitations of Research and Areas for Future Research.................................................... 88 Possible Implications of Research ......................................................................................... 88 Holistic Healthcare.............................................................................................................. 89 Doulas are the New Black… Grand Midwives ................................................................. 91 Works Cited ................................................................................................................................. 94 Riley 1 Introduction According to the Center for Disease Control’s Reproductive Health Division, between 700 to 1,200 women die in the United States of America every year due to pregnancy-related complications. The United States of America has the highest maternal mortality rate of the entire developed world. Additionally, the CDC’s “research suggests that half of these deaths are preventable,” and “[r]acial disparities persist. The risk of pregnancy-related deaths for black women is 3 to 4 times higher than those of white women” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018). The United States’ maternal mortality rate is the widest racial gap in health care. To best convey the gravity of that statistic, Black women are 22% more likely to die from heart disease than white women, 71% more likely to die from cervical cancer than their white counterparts, and 243% more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women (Martin and Montagne, 2017). For those disillusioned into believing the United States achieved some semblance of a post-racial society, the data speaks volumes to the contrary. Therefore, I argue racialized representations of Black women throughout history and into the modern-era compromise Black women’s obstetrical care, affect their reproductive freedom, and contribute to their disproportionately higher maternal mortality rates. While it is important to remain cognizant of the fact that Black women are not monolithic in thought or action, the reality is they are often treated as a singular entity. By presenting the unique experiences of five Black women, I will reveal how the past manifests itself in the the present and negatively impacts the lives and reproductive health of Black women as a consequence. Obviously, the experiences of five Black women cannot sufficiently convey every issue Black women confront, but their experiences are diverse enough to adequately discuss what
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