News/Commentary

California program giving ‘pregnant people’ who are black up to $1,000 a month going statewide

December 11, 2022 | | Print Article

Already under fire for its blatant racism, California is now doubling down on a universal basic income (UBI) program designed for just pregnant black women.

Launched in 2021 by San Francisco, the Abundant Birth Project has forked over $1,000 a month to 150 so-called “at-risk pregnant women of color in efforts to mitigate racial birth disparities,” according to local station WGO.

In other words, it’s been handing out $1,000 a month to 150 pregnant black women in the Bay Area. Except according to WGO, the program is now going statewide.

Last week the San Francisco Department of Public Health announced that it’d received a $5 million grant from the California Department of Social Services to expand the program to every corner of the far-left state.

“[T]he program will work with local health organizations to serve 425 mothers residing in Alameda, Contra Costa, Los Angeles and Riverside counties for the next two or three years,” according to WGO.

That’s 425 pregnant black women who’re set to be paid just for being black and pregnant. It sounds awfully racist, critics say.

Supporters of the policy disagree, including Bay Area Mayor London Breed.

“The Abundant Birth Project has proven to be successful in San Francisco and brings an innovative, equitable approach to addressing disproportionate health impacts largely among Black families, which is why I committed to investing $1.5 million over the next two years to grow the program in our City and neighboring counties,” she said in a celebratory statement.

“This guaranteed income program helps ease some of the financial burdens that all too often keep mothers from being able to prioritize their own health and ultimately impact the health of their babies and family. We hope the Abundant Birth Project serves as a model to address racial birth disparities throughout the region and state, and across the country,” she added.

Note what she said about expanding the program “across the country.”

Also in support of the program is Dr. Zea Malawa, the director of some far-left group called Expecting Justice.

“For so long, Black women have been excluded from the resources needed to have safe and healthy pregnancies. This funding will provide pregnant people with economic stability during this critical phase in their lives while allowing public health institutions to test a novel and promising public health intervention,” she said.

Note her choice in words: “pregnant people.”

Also notice how she dubiously claimed that black women have somehow “been excluded from the resources needed to have safe and healthy pregnancies.”

This belief is based on the city’s equally dubious claim that “racism and its related socio-economic inequities are key factors contributing to poor maternal and infant health outcomes.”

“Black women are twice as likely than white women to have a preterm birth and they experience the highest infant and maternal mortality rates among any population, in part because of wealth and income disparities. Premature births are the leading cause of newborn deaths and can lead to lifelong health issues, including chronic disease, learning disabilities, and behavioral health issues,” a press release from the city reads.

This claim is rooted in the belief that disparity means discrimination/racism. But it’s a canard that’s frequently used by the left to make illogical arguments.

For instance, if a city’s police force just happens to pull over more black drivers than white drivers, leftists would automatically assume this is because of racism, because disparity equals racism to them.

But the actual reality could simply be that said city’s black drivers are more prone to driving unsafely. The problem is leftists refuse to factor in these sort of related factors.

That said, the Abundant Birth Project isn’t San Francisco’s only UBI. Last month the city launched another UBI that’ll be paying out $1,200 a month to 55 transgender people.

Palm Springs, California reportedly already had a similar program in place:

Vivek Saxena
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