Bush testifies before Congress about racist treatment Black birthing people face during childbirth, pregnancy

Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) testified before Congress on Thursday about the “racist treatment” she said she and other Black people have experienced in the health care system during childbirth and pregnancy.

The moment came as the House Oversight and Reform Committee held a hearing examining the maternal mortality and morbidity crisis faced by Black birthing people, a gender inclusive term that encompasses all who give birth, in the nation.

During her testimony, Bush, a nurse and mother of two, opened up about her personal experience in which said she had to be her “own advocate” while trying to receive medical care in the past after voicing problems to her doctors about serious health issues that went unaddressed.