Retired Olympian Allyson Felix writes powerful essay on black maternal health crisis after death of fellow athlete Tori Bowie.

Allyson Felix, the retired Olympic athlete and teammate of Tori Bowie, has voiced her concerns about the Black maternal health crisis following Bowie's death. In a heartfelt essay for TIME, Felix wrote that Bowie's death, possibly due to respiratory distress and eclampsia, cannot be in vain.

"We must see this clearly for what it is – a maternal health crisis," said Felix. "That is why we must continue to fight to protect the lives of every woman and every mother in our nation."

The decorated athlete and mother reflected on her own experience with preeclampsia before giving birth to her daughter, Camryn. She also noted that the medical community must do its part to inform expecting mothers of the risks they may face.

"When I became pregnant my doctor didn't sit me down and tell me, 'these are things that you should look for in your pregnancy, because you are at a greater risk to experience these complications,'" she said.

Felix made it clear that the Black Maternal Health Crisis impacts all Black women equally, whether they are celebrities or everyday citizens. She mentioned that three out of the four women who won an Olympic gold medal alongside Tori had pregnancy complications.

"Here you have three Olympic champions, and we're still at risk," she said. She continued, "Three gold medalists from that 4 x 100 relay team in Rio set out to become mothers. All three of us—all Black women—had serious complications."

Felix also named other well-known Black women who had pregnancy complications, including Serena Williams and Beyoncé.

Felix has been advocating for expectant mothers in various ways. She founded Saysh, a footwear brand for women, after Nike switched up on her when she became pregnant. BLACK ENTERPRISE covered her brand, the first-ever to offer maternity returns. In 2019, Felix, the most decorated athlete in the U.S., was offered a 70 percent cut in pay simply because she was expecting.

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