Black women have the highest maternal mortality rate in the United States , almost three times the rate for white women and black babies are more likely to die or be born prematurely, setting the stage for health issues that could follow them through their lives. Go to https://apnews.com/article/black-women-maternal-mortality-rate-df872e86c4bb56ef222b19141dc377f8 to read the article by Kat Stafford that examines the health disparities experienced by Black Americans in part one of this AP series.