The Maternal Health Crisis with Vice President Kamala Harris | Baby, This is Keke Palmer

baby this is this is Kiki [Music] oh my goodness [Music] [Music] he loves you [Music] hello as you guys may know I've been a mother for what four months now and it has changed my life incredibly not just in figure but personal career I mean and just the way that I I look at mothers that come before me now that I'm finally in their shoes I mean motherhood is fabulous but it also comes with its own unique challenges and I immediately knew like I think the first week that most mothers do not get the support that they need because I found myself to be struggling and I had family friends everyone with an Arm's Reach and it still was a lot um and as always when I get into a topic I have to talk to the best of the best on baby this is Kiki Palmer so I'm very excited to introduce you guys to my guest today Madame VP coming to hers it is so good to be here with you before we get into everything I just got to ask how you doing what's the T how's things been going since I last seen you good honey but it was so the highlight of my day was to meet Leo are you kidding me it's just precious when I got that call I think it was first of all I don't know how you do all the things you're doing and then you find the time to call us literally just a few days after he was born I'm like unknown voicemail who is this hello I'm like oh my God oh my God tell you know I woke up I loved it made my heart feel so full that you could even just take time out your busy schedule to say hello to us please just you are doing your thing in so many ways and just congratulations to you to Darius to that beautiful baby you brought in the world congratulations thank you truly thank you God is good every day all the time yes yes yes now the last time I was we were at uh the light year party that you threw with NASA yeah uzo was there we had the screen it was so over lovely but right before then I kind of I got in it all in the biz trying to figure out how you deal as a political official yeah with having so many different things going on I mean there are tons of issues in the world half of them's probably in America but no in all seriousness there's a lot of things for you to have to focus on and you can't do everything at once and then the one thing or the few things that you focus at you know people still can have problems with that yeah but you spoke very clearly about the maternal Health crisis yes and how that was very important for you this term and I mean I heard you when we were talking about it then but now right mother right and it's right becoming because you weren't even pregnant then well we had that conversation that's right that's right it's really become a personal thing for me so I just want to talk about what makes it a crisis and why you know in a world with all these things we have going on why was this the most important for you right now so first of all it it falls under the umbrella for me of just what are still the failures of our Health Care system as it relates to women's health care and that could be anything from fibroid care yes to breast cancer to maternal Health to reproductive care and access to reproductive care and so I think of it that way and and the majority of my career I've spent focused on the the health the safety and the well-being of women and children I mean even when I was D.A that was a focus of my my work a main focus my work was to address abuse against women and children and so on the issue of the maternal Health Care crisis it is truly a health care crisis in America in that we are one of the richest countries in the world if not the richest and we have one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in the world this this completely unacceptable and when you look closely at the issue black women are three times more likely to die in connection with childbirth than other women I gotta understand that you know because obviously we could just say oh it's racism right but what how do we break it down yeah obviously yeah I'm sure systemic racism is part of that but to what degree right is this uh you know the disparity in the communities is this uh people don't believe black women is it uh what how does it actually contribute to this issue exactly that we're losing black women like this so to your point there are a lot of factors to be sure but one of them one of the biggest has to do with the fact that she is a black woman I mean really and when she walks into that hospital that clinic or that doctor's office she's not taken us seriously the the facts support the reality which is that regardless of her socioeconomic or education level she is still looking at the likelihood that she is more likely to not be taken seriously and to then have outcomes in terms of her health care that reflect that but there are other things it's it's about the stressors right so during if it's it it could be everything from the lack of of access to Transportation the lack of access to a to high quality Health Care you know for example you look at so many of of our women who are in the south and in particular in rural areas in the South and Healthcare deserts you look at you look at Texas and Oklahoma as two examples of other areas where in half the counties in Texas and Oklahoma they don't even have one OB GYN I think it's not even accessible that's exactly right so you have there are a variety of factors but the bottom line is this the bottom line is that these women should not be dying no and they should be taken seriously so a lot of the work that I've done even when I was in the Senate was about saying what we need to do to train Health Care Professionals to understand racial bias right because I mean this is we're talking mean I mean we've all experienced this black women people have not believed me many times yes so how it to me it's like it's interesting to hear you talk about how it's about unlearning and relearning how to humanize the black woman which is it's insane that we're still here at 2023 it's like we're still beating down that same thing but it's important and to also respect the Dignity of black women's bodies and the intelligence of black women to let you know what they need and then listen to that and so a lot of the work that I'm doing is about what we need to do to to speak truth about this even though it might be difficult for some people to hear yeah and then to to act on it right with Solutions so part of it is for example I love doulas right and who are predominantly women from the community who have a community care kind of approach to what they do to help pregnant women and women immediately after and shortly after childbirth and giving them a safe place yes where they are treated with dignity where they are respected where they're listened to right that's so important I mean the other piece of this is also to remind our sisters our cousins our aunties our best friends when you go to speak to that health care professional that doctor or that nurse require that they answer your questions and know you have every right to ask any question that is on your mind yes autonomy absolutely right and it's their job to answer your questions so know that and let's support each other in in in saying go in that room and when you go in that room you ask your questions and require that they're answered it's about letting folks know when you go into those situations go if you need to with a list ahead of time where you are tracking yeah how you are feeling because you will be asked sometimes and often you'll be asked how's it been how are you doing so start keeping a list and notes about how you're feeling are you having discomfort have you had a fever I love what you said also speaking about the Doula because this is something that's seen as a specialty and it should be a necessity and I think you know shout out to Eric about doing someone that is in yeah constantly normalized that's right of that because that person can't advocate for you if you are afraid to advocate for yourself um so I love how you spoke about that and also in the thing that she's been doing and what doulas will advocate for is you as the the pregnant person as a pregnant woman create a team and your team will include your doctor and your doula right yes and who will each and that they should coordinate around each other and respect each other part of the work that I did even in the Senate to deal with the racial bias is to say doulas should be part of the trainers yeah for doctors around how to think about how they approach listening and respecting and also understanding because there's two different ways of thinking right there's what I've learned and what's in school or you know what I was taught and then there's just what doulas are this is a lot of that is instinctual but I want to go back to something else that was that we're talking about uh from the top why is it important for other people right because a lot of people might say well I'm not a woman I don't have kids I'm not a black woman why is this how is this important to everybody how is this affecting all of us how can we get you know how can we help other people understand that this is a this being a crisis a maternal crisis is a crisis for all I mean just being very Frank with you Kiki I think that we also all of us have to agree that we're not going to allow this kind of culture in our country to take hold where the sign of strength is based on who you beat down instead of we measure your strength based on who you lift up I'm making me drop my cards and the reason why is because you know what I'm saying yes because James Baldwin has an incredible I'm gonna butcher the quote but essentially is if I serve you poop on a stick and I serve you poop on a plate it's poop regardless so yes just because I'm kicking them down harder that's that can either distract you from the fact that I'm kicking you down or it can scare you so much into submission that you say nothing plus it's a sign of a coward come on now it's a sign of a coward the sign of a strong person is just watch how they lift people up and so on an issue like maternal health and maternal mortality it's also about helping people to understand that that it's a sign of strength and certainly I think an attribute of a real leader to have empathy which is to have some level of curiosity concern and then care for another human being who may be a perfect stranger to you right yes and that's what we need more of that's what we need more of that's what I feel like you know as a as a black person even with all that we've endured I consider myself a patriot I care about this country that's exactly I know that we can do better that's right so yes to everything you said which makes me think about obviously June 24th yeah it's been about a year from now yeah since Roe versus Wade was overturned I felt like that directly you know connects to what we're talking about right how can we be having a maternal Health crisis and then people saying have more kids I mean but mothers don't have access to doulas they don't have you know it's always breast is best but you can't get a lactation consultant unless you you know above middle class if that even exists anymore and if you do and you have to go back to work because you can't afford or you don't have maternity leave that is paid then you go to work and then you have to deal with a situation where there's nowhere for you to pump and and and and it is not respected that you might need that time much less what you might need after childbirth in terms of postpartum care come on so all of that all of that and that's why these things are connected let me tell you something in the top 10 states that have the highest rates of maternal mortality are the same states that have banned abortion so so you look at it and this is where I get quite upset yeah about the hypocrisy because the same people who say on the issue of access to reproductive care and a right of a woman to make decisions about her own body they'll say oh I because I care about women and children and you're the same people that are so-called leading a place that has some of the highest rates of maternal mortality so which is it that's how we I mean and I and I don't want to speak for all Millennials but we've seen a lot of things where it's like oh that wasn't what we thought it was oh that was so it when we deal with stuff like this like you said the hypocrisy that we're seeing yet again from from what is a government level how are we supposed to be hopeful how we there's misinformation out there and then there's just like wait a minute what do we do when it comes to yeah what seems so clear um how do we get back excited and involved and say hey I can make a difference I can make a change when people are obviously doing things that that don't that are nonsenseical you know so first of all it means that we Can See Clearly to your point what is happening in real time right now and call it what it is which is the highest court in our land just took a constitutional right that had been recognized from the women of America from the people of America because what they did with that ruling is they said essentially a woman does not have the right to make decisions about her own body the government will make those decisions about what happens to her body and here's the thing that I have to say Kiki because I think it's so important on this subject one does not have to abandon their faith or deeply held beliefs to agree that the government should not be telling her what to do with her body that's up to her and her pastor her priest or Rabbi but not the government telling her what should happen to her body and so let's call it what it is right which is this is about going backward it is you know we we are a country that you know my parents were active in the Civil Rights Movement it's been about fighting for the expansion of Rights and now people are trying to restrict rights to reduce the rights and in particular the rights of women to make decisions about their body think historically where it's ridiculous that goes and then where it might go in the future if we don't stand up and activate and understand what's happening right in front of us and that's what I want to talk about right because I can go on my YouTube uh rabbit hole and talk about the reasons as to why and the conspiracies you know the kids we get caught up in that yeah but I think my my energy should be more focused towards how what can I do right you know Mother Teresa says there can be no great things done only small things with great love right yeah we can't solve I can't just do that and it's all solved but madamvp what can we do how can we um feel like we have a choice or or say in this what what are the what are the few actions practical and tangible actions that we can take to say hey I I made a difference you know or I I can do something where I'm at you know in my backyard there are non-profit organizations that support this issue and and support the right of women to have access to reproductive care and you could get involved in supporting those non-profit organizations But ultimately it comes down to elections because it is state legislators it is Governors it is attorney general if you're in a state that has and there are states that are saying doctors can go to jail for providing abortion care then you might want to take a look at any election coming up for who's going to be your prosecutor and are they prepared to put a doctor or a nurse in jail forgiving a woman access to the reproductive care that she requests and desires so elections matter on this because ultimately the goal is we need to pass legislation at the federal level that puts back in place the protections of Roe v Wade that's the only way we're going to ultimately push down all these states that are criminalizing health care providers that are punishing poor women in particular because women who live in a state where there's no reproductive Health Care you have to figure out how they can afford to go to another to travel to another state I'm wondering how valuable you think it is um when we talk about standing up and and you're you know you talk about your family's background if we want to protest if we want to stand up against this how valuable is that in a situation how how uh I don't even know if you can speak on this but how can we how could we activate from that point of view you know what I mean to say hey I'm not taking it um I've gone through these steps we've played this game we've done it your way we've did we did this dance now I'm pissed okay right so now when I'm pissed you know what is the next step so it is for example anytime you know that there is an organizing event that is taking place okay it is about using your social media to to make clear to your friends everybody's got to be active on this because our lives are at stake I mean this is the fact that young women there are 24 million women approximately in the United States of America who are in childbearing at childbearing age who live in a state where abortion has been banned that's just crazy so 24 million women who could potentially have an unwanted pregnancy and live in a place where they will not have access to care and where potentially anybody who gives them care could be put in jail think about that it's horrible think about that and and again think about you know this is something people don't like to hear and discuss but think about the fact that in a lot of these cases that have where they've banned access to abortion care they're also saying there's no exception for rape or incest exactly and Kiki just you know I special I specialized in those cases for a while you're talking about like we got to break this down right this is about being real okay so she just went through and survived an act of violence to her body a violation of her body and then the government is saying and the next thing that happens to your body you don't have a choice over my mother grew up with a girl in her neighborhood and she never went to to her home and one time she she asked her let's say her name is Jane Jane you know why we all never you know where you live at she's like I live in a group home because I had three kids by my father yeah right right three kids I know by your father I know so yeah and Kiki that happens more than we talk about all over our country around child molestation or rape and here's the thing why would you make this person who has suffered and survived such an act continue to suffer because they are unable to exercise self-determination you know we part of the movement around progress whether it be the civil rights movement or anything else that has been about progress is to say we support and will defend the right for people to have self-determination which is about the right of people to make and have choices about what happens to them I love what you said about getting together and not being afraid to stand and not being afraid to make the hard choices and decisions you know what I mean um so I know you have a million things to do and I could talk to you for days but you know at the end of our show we always play a little game okay so I want to play this game with you questions that need to be answered and it's in The Ether of the kids they want to know what they want to know these questions from you madam BP and if you don't like them you can pass okay we'll edit it out okay so are you ready I think so okay question number one how many times a month do you get a silk press so you know I don't use a curling iron it's too much heat I use a round brush now what kind of magical round brush I mean your hair must be super fine well no it's not it takes a while a boar bristle or you know and but it takes a lot of heat but it's just too much heat to do that and do go you have a shirt on the internet you and Queen Latifah are going neck and neck with the silk president you're giving it to us okay so it's a round brush girls we've got to get into that okay okay next one now don't be shy with this okay how often do you Uber Eats dinner to the White House do you are you a door Dash person don't tell me you're cooking all the time wait well no but we can't for security reasons I can't have deliveries they can even get the people to Uber none of the door oh girl but I do like to cook I don't cook I don't cook that often because I don't have time but I love to cook so Sunday family dinner in particular I it I it takes a lot for me to not be able to cook Sunday dinner that's just that that means a lot to me I love it okay okay that's a shame okay well we know you like to work out that's when you did the we did a job so I've got to ask you what what is on your playlist what are you listening to when you work out uh here comes another disappointing answer I'm watching the news because I work it's gonna work out I work out early in the morning okay and that's and that's the time I can catch up on the news before I just you know hit the streets I'm not mad at it I mean you know the news the nose is entertaining it'd be scary too it can be scary but it kind of gives me an idea of what people are thinking about and talking about that day and I always wanted to be aware of that I love it I love it okay um obviously I have to ask this because you are from the Bay Area yeah what is your favorite E-40 song I know you gotta know oh I think let's see um I think well let me say this I would prefer to talk about Too Short oh okay wait let me just I love E40 I love everything about E40 but I was because we're here in DC my cousin's son is going to start going to Howard and from Oakland and I was reminded of the fact that so I would take full credit for bringing my bootleg tapes it's too short to Howard University so that all my friends from like Chicago in Philly I turned my mom to Too Short Too Short do not show up on the Madame VP doorstep okay last one well I saw him though recently he was here at the White House you he is everything everything last one because you know we love getting into your Fashions okay you always get a nice suit but you're also casual too at the same time we like the Converses would we ever get a Madam VP Converse line oh it's interesting I do love my Converse I mean you wear them well I have all kinds of different colors and a high top and low top I prefer the little if I did I'd probably want like a like a freedom line you know right yeah can you see that right absolutely it would be some Freedom would be on on the converse you know freedom freedom to be freedom to I am right right I am free free to March free to to walk my talk Harris's Freedom line Freedom line I don't need much just a little fun to see I'm here for that line and I'm here for you and I thank you so much for your time we're so happy I'm so happy to be with you please keep killing it and doing what you're doing because we need it you know we're all in this together yeah it really is High School Musical we are all in this together series yes we have I just think there's so much about this moment where you and you do this so beautifully which is to remind people they're not alone you know that's so important and it's a great gift you give and thank you for that thank you God bless you Andrew [Music]

Channel: Wondery

Views: 187,822

Keywords: wondery, podcast, wondery podcast, kamala harris, vice president kamala harris, keke palmer, disney channel, tv show, keke palmer podcast, comedy, live action podcasts, keke palmer interview, podcast motivation, maternal health crisis, vp kamala harris, joe biden, black women, black women in america, black mothers

Id: wXrLtzsedf4

Length: 26min 14sec (1574 seconds)

Published: Tue Jun 27 2023