Voices from the battlefield: reports of the daily experiences of urban Black mothers

Abstract

There are persistent disparities in maternal child health in the United States. In this study I used an ethnographic design to portray the everyday lives of 130 Black, low-income, urban mothers. The women described daily battles related to a lack of material and human resources. To deal with these challenges, they assumed the role of soldiers, developed new tactical maneuvers, trusted in God for justice, shared their resources with their comrades, took short-lived breaks when they were wounded in action, and used escape mechanisms. Public health interventions are needed to deal with infrastructural deficits and support the women's defenses.