Minnesota
OPINION EXCHANGE | Minnesota must stop failing Black mothers and birthers
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Throughout the country, Minnesota is seen as a leader in health care with a rich history of innovation and off-the-charts rankings. Some of the leading clinics, technology manufacturers and insurance providers all call Minnesota home, and for good reason. But at the same time, the very health care systems in our state that promise care and comfort for families during one of the most significant health events in their lives — childbirth — fall short of meeting the needs of all birthers.
Despite increased attention on equity and DEI initiatives, there remains a stark disparity in maternal mortality rates between Black and white people. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, Black women have a pregnancy-related mortality rate that is about three times higher than that of white women. In addition, a recent Minnesota Department of Health report indicated that, while the state’s overall maternal mortality rate is much lower than the national average, there are also disparities. Black Minnesotans represent 13% of the birthing population, but made up 27% of pregnancy-associated deaths between 2017 and 2019. What is more unnerving is that this tragic reality cannot be attributed to biological differences but rather to the structural racism that pervades our society.
Factors such as lack of access to quality health care and culturally concordant care, racial bias and discrimination within health care settings, socioeconomic disparities, and environmental stressors all contribute to the elevated risk of maternal death among Black mothers and birthers.
According to a new poll commissioned by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, more than half of Black Minnesota mothers and birthing people feel that discrimination based on their race/ethnicity negatively impacts their health.
Respondents identified discrimination as a key impediment to health equity, with 59% indicating it adversely affects birther health. The survey exposes a challenging environment for Black women and birthing people, who must place significant trust in health care systems, yet have low confidence that their health care needs (particularly postpartum) are met.
The survey results also pointed to some potential solutions. About 52% of respondents said increasing the representation of Black health care professionals would have a strong impact in improving Black birther health.
Rooting our strategy and mission in advancing racial and health equity, Blue Cross is committed to working collectively to eliminate barriers to health and to proactively address large-scale systemic issues that drive racial and health inequities.
One key area of focus needs to include expanding access to quality and culturally informed health care for Black mothers and birthers, including prenatal and postpartum care, reproductive health services, and mental health support. Part of this work includes implementing anti-bias training for health care providers, helping to create a more diverse and inclusive health care workforce, and establishing protocols to ensure equitable treatment for all patients. It also includes educating new Black mothers and birthers throughout their journey so they have the necessary tools to advocate for themselves, which many of them inevitably end up having to do.
Another strategy is to make changes in policy. In August 2022, several members from various Black and Indigenous community organizations formed the Birth Justice Collaborative (BJC) as a way to inform and develop strategies that improve maternal health for American Indian and African American communities. Initiatives developed at the BJC have directly resulted in the Minnesota Department of Health vastly changing the way Blue Cross covers doula and midwife care for people on Medicaid, expanding coverage from eight to 17 visits. In the Black community, doulas have been the standard for the way important health knowledge gets passed down between generations. This knowledge and care are also known to play an invaluable role in healing, and to greatly improve maternal outcomes for Black women.
Community-based interventions are also crucial in this work. Communities have the answers, and it is incumbent on dominant systems and organizations to support and amplify the solutions that communities have identified and built. This includes supporting efforts focused on improving access to care, education, affordable housing, nutritious food and economic opportunities.
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation supports several organizations that focus on improving Black maternal health, including the African American Babies Coalition, which advocates for policies and programs that improve maternal and infant health outcomes within Black communities, addressing the root causes of maternal health inequities to ensure that Black birthers and babies receive the support they need to thrive. Another organization we support is the Roots Birth Center, which provides comprehensive maternity services and offers holistic care that respects the cultural traditions and preferences of clients to empower and reduce maternal health inequities.
By working together, Blue Cross and other health-driven organizations can set the standard where all birthers, regardless of race or socioeconomic status, can experience healthy pregnancies and childbirth. However, to be truly successful, we must expand the advocacy for Black mothers and birthers, and see greater efforts from many sectors, including policymakers, health care providers, community organizations, advocates and more. Ensuring safer, more personalized and more equitable maternity care for all birthers, babies and families should be paramount in a state so highly regarded for being one of the healthiest in the nation.
Bukata Hayes is the vice president of racial and health equity and chief equity officer for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota.
Of the many terrible roster decisions Minnesota sports teams have made over the past 30 years, the worst of the bunch may have been trading Randy Moss to the Raiders for the No. 7 pick in the draft and linebacker Napoleon Harris.
Why are we bringing up a trade that happened 21 years ago? Because the New York Giants traded defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals for the No. 10 pick in this week’s NFL Draft. It was the first time a non-quarterback has been traded for a top-10 pick since the infamous Moss trade in 2005.
Minnesota traded Moss for the Raiders’ first-round pick, Harris, and a seventh-round pick on March 2, 2005. The Vikings used the No. 7 pick on wide receiver Troy Williamson, who never panned out in the NFL. He had 24 catches for 372 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie, 37 receptions for 457 yards and zero touchdowns in 2006, and just 18 catches for 240 yards and one touchdown in 2007.
Williams led the league with 11 dropped passes in 2006. Minnesota traded him to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a sixth-round pick after the 2007 season, where he played in 10 games over two seasons and totaled just eight catches for 64 yards. He was cut before the start of the 2010 season, and that was a wrap on the former South Carolina speedster’s NFL career.
Moss didn’t put up jaw-dropping numbers with the Raiders for two seasons, but he set an NFL record with 23 touchdown catches in 2007 with the New England Patriots. He caught 47 touchdowns in 48 regular-season games with the Patriots from 2007 to 2009.
Whether it was trading Moss to the Raiders, the Timberwolves sending Kevin Garnett to the Boston Celtics — or drafting Ricky Rubio AND Johnny Flynn over Steph Curry — or the Twins cutting David Ortiz and watching him become one of the greatest players in MLB history with the Boston Red Sox, Minnesota sports teams have a long history of making terrible decisions.
The Bengals, meanwhile, gave up the 10th overall pick for one of the best defensive tackles in the league. They’ll likely get great production from Lawrence, while the Giants are now under pressure to get the 10th pick right. New York also holds the No. 5 pick in Thursday’s first round of the draft.
By the way, the Vikings had two picks in the first round of the 2005 draft. After taking Williamson, they used the No. 18 pick on defensive end Erasmus James. He was just as much of a bust as Williams, playing in 23 games in three years with the Vikings. He had four sacks as a rookie, but injuries wiped out most of his 2006 and 2007 seasons before he was traded to Washington for a conditional seventh-round pick.
James was cut by Washington in December 2009, marking the end of his NFL career.
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Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and two assists, and Ryan Hartman had a goal and an assist for the Wild, who are the No. 3 seed in the Central Division. Wallstedt made 27 saves in his Stanley Cup Playoff debut, and Zuccarello had three assists.
“I was definitely nervous,” said Wallstedt, a rookie. “I think it shows that it means something to you. I like a little bit of nerves. I think it’s something good. There were definitely some nerves throughout the day and then a little bit extra rolling into the game. But after the national anthem was over and the first couple pucks started coming, you’re good.
“I wanted to play and I felt like I have been going good. I was a little surprised (to get the start). But I was very excited as soon as I got the news. I just wanted to make sure I was ready today.”
Jason Robertson scored, and Jake Oettinger made 23 saves for the Stars, who are the No. 2 seed in the Central.
“We didn’t deserve to win,” Dallas forward Mikko Rantanen said. “I think two power-play goals for them, two a little-bit bounces for them where we had guys in the right spot. Just even keel. Playoffs are like this. Sometimes you lose a game, you can feel like you’re done. But that’s the mentality you need to have, you’ve got to reset and learn from mistakes.
“First 30 minutes, we didn’t win enough battles. They were just that little bit stronger in the battles and that’s why they were able to make us defend more than we want to. Just got to be stronger.”
Game 2 is here on Monday (9:30 p.m. ET; FDSNWI, FDSNNO, Victory+, ESPN, TVAS2, SN360).
“We prepped for a couple days coming into this one. Now, we will gather information from this game and continue to move forward,” Minnesota coach John Hynes said. “For me, it’s game to game and day to day. We want to continue to get better. We won and they [Dallas] lost. It’s not so much being satisfied where you’re at or that’s what it is. We need to continue to find ways to get better.”
Eriksson Ek gave the Wild a 1-0 lead at 5:35 of the first period on the power play. He scored on a one-timer from the left hash marks to finish a tic-tac-toe passing play with Zuccarello and Boldy, who found an open Eriksson Ek with a pass from the goal line.
“I think every team in the playoffs talks about not getting too high or too low. Just enjoy every day and each game and then we will go from there,” Eriksson Ek said. “I think we played pretty good today. The next game is a new game, so we just have to do it over and over every game. We know they are probably not the happiest with that game, so I am sure it’s going to be hard next game.”
Minnesota prosecutors charged a federal immigration agent with assault accusing him of involvement in a February road-rage incident.
Trump administration ends Minnesota immigration operation
Border Czar Tom Homan announced the end of Minnesota’s immigration operation after fatal shootings heightened tension and community backlash.
Minnesota prosecutors charged a federal immigration agent with assault, saying the agent was involved in a February road-rage incident during the Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Gregory Donnell Morgan Jr., 35, faces two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, according to April 16 Hennepin County court records. He has a nationwide warrant for his arrest.
On Feb. 5, prosecutors said Morgan allegedly drove illegally on the shoulder of a congested Minnesota highway in an unmarked SUV and pointed his weapon at two people in another car.
Morgan is the first agent charged in Operation Metro Surge, the controversial Minneapolis-area federal immigration operation that resulted in two American citizens fatally shot by federal officials, according to the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office.
The charges “reflect an important milestone in our efforts to seek accountability for the harms inflicted on our community during Operation Metro Surge,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said in an April 16 video statement.
Second-degree assault with a gun has a presumptive sentence of 36 months in prison if convicted, she said.
“Mr. Morgan’s conduct was extremely dangerous,” she said, adding his actions could have led to “another disastrous incident” in the community.
Neither ICE nor the Department of Homeland Security immediately responded to email requests for comment. A cell phone listed for Morgan, identified as a Maryland resident, didn’t immediately respond to a call or text message.
The incident came less than two weeks after two Customs and Border Protection officers shot and killed Alex Pretti, 37, during a protest in Minneapolis. Pretti would be the second American killed during Metro Surge after an ICE agent in early January fatally shot Renee Good, 37, while she drove her SUV in Minneapolis near an immigration operation.
Later in February, the Trump administration drew down Metro Surge, which officials called the largest immigration operation in modern American history.
Investigators said they interviewed Morgan, who identified himself as the driver. Morgan told investigators he and the other ICE employee were returning from a surveillance shift. Morgan said he feared for his life and others’ safety, so he pulled up alongside the vehicle and drew his Glock 19 firearm. He said he identified himself as police.
State investigators said neither Morgan nor the other ICE agent reported the incident to an ICE supervisor.
The April 16 warrant, signed by District Court Judge Paul Scoggin, said there was a “substantial likelihood” Morgan would fail to respond to a summons, and officials couldn’t locate him.
On April 18, Daniel Borgertpoepping, a spokesperson for the county attorney’s office, said there is no knowledge of Morgan being arrested yet.
Eduardo Cuevas is based in New York City. Reach him by email at emcuevas1@usatoday.com or on Signal at emcuevas.01.
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