Facing the legacy: Sacramento sees community response to black infant mortality rates

More than 400 people filled the South Sacramento Christian Center last week for a summit meant to address the shocking rate of black child deaths in the region.

“African-American children in Sacramento County die at twice the rate as any other ethnicity throughout the county,” Kindra Montgomery-Block, a program director for Sierra Health Foundation, told the audience. “There are a few reasons: third-party homicides; child abuse and neglect; prenatal conditions; and infant sleep-related deaths. … Today is about action.”

Her words officially launched the new Black Child Legacy Campaign, a community movement designed to bring public servants, private residents, health-care providers and faith organizations into one broad-reaching coalition aimed at lowering the number of black infant and child deaths in Sacramento. According to the county’s Child Death Review Team, the numbing mortality rates are concentrated in a handful of areas, including Valley Hi, Meadowview, Arden-Arcade, Del Paso Heights, Oak Park, North Highlands and neighborhoods along Fruitridge and Stockton boulevards.

The April 20 event featured a number of expert speakers, all discussing the scope and causes of the county’s death rate.

“You may find yourself experiencing some tears today,” South Sacramento Christian Center Pastor Les Simmons warned attendees, while stressing that hope is possible through widespread action.

One of the keynote speakers was Dr. Flojaune G. Cofer, a women’s health epidemiologist who works for the Davis-based Public Health Advocates. Cofer reviewed scores of data for Sacramento County and argued that unstable and trauma-prone communities are directly affecting the health of those living in them. Cofer said this dangerous trajectory is especially pronounced in utero.

“The challenge is when the stress never goes away,” Cofer said, “and it’s the kind of stress associated with the communities we’re living in.” (by Scott Thomas Anderson)