; Whereas the Black infant mortality rate is 2.4 times higher than for White infants, primarily because Black women have high rates of preterm births; Whereas Black women are 3 to 4 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related conditions, such as cardiovascular conditions, hemorrhage, and other chronic medical illnesses; Whereas discrimination is a key factor in chronic stress-related health disparities; Whereas stress related to discrimination contributes to adverse birth and maternal health outcomes, chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, and mental health disorders; Whereas Black women are adversely affected by a lack of access to quality health care and continue to experience consistently higher rates of chronic illnesses, obesity, and premature mortality; Whereas most of the aforementioned health inequities could be resolved if not for the lack of clinical trials and limited research dollars that incorporate the lived experiences of Black women and are directed toward the improvement of the health of Black women; Whereas eliminating health disparities could save the economy billions of dollars annually by reducing medical expenditures for treating diseases and premature deaths, and recovering costs associated with work lost as a result of illness; Whereas, in 2015, 70.7 percent of working Black mothers are the primary or sole breadwinners for their families; Whereas Black women are overrepresented in the low-wage workforce and underrepresented in high-wage jobs; Whereas more than 50 percent of Black women between the ages of 18 to 24 are pursuing higher education; Whereas only two percent of all physicians are Black women and 10 percent of enrollees in STEM graduate degree programs are Black women; Whereas Black women only represent 1.2 percent of executive or senior-level employees and 0.2 percent of CEOs at S&P 500 companies