Rideshare companies Uber & Lyft have agreed to a $328 million settlement with the state of New York, after the companies were accused of cheating “their drivers out of hundreds of millions of dollars in pay and benefits while they worked long hours in challenging conditions,” says New York State Attorney General Letitia James.
A statement from the State of Babies Yearbook: 2023 report stated, “These poverty and income levels are concerning, as babies’ rapid brain development during their early years makes them particularly vulnerable to the material hardship and family stress that accompany poverty, with long-term consequences for later success in school and employment.”
A contributor to the high number of Black infants in poverty is the overall number of Black people in poverty. Approximately 40 percent of Black people who gave birth were in poverty before and near the time of birth. Parental poverty puts Black children at risk of poverty as well.
While Black women work more than any other group of women in the labor force, Black women, and subsequently, Black mothers, face disproportionate risks in their everyday lives such as unstable housing, unsafe neighborhoods, and a lack of resources.
The State of Babies Yearbook was created by the Think Babies Initiative, which advocates for better policies surrounding proper maternity treatment, and continues to raise awareness surrounding Black infants.