Sad to say, clients are not like children. We, or at least I, don’t love them all equally. I appreciate them all, but some touch me more than others.

One of my favorite clients is the National Birth Equity Collaborative. This Louisiana-based organization works to improve maternal outcomes for black birthing people. The gaps between the levels of care, and subsequent results in maternal and neonatal outcomes, between black birthing people and all others are shocking. As NBEC’s website points out, “Even when accounting for social determinants, Black women are still dying at 2.5 times the rate of their white counterparts.” Even celebrities like Serena Williams have experienced a different level of care than their white counterparts.

Last year, I conducted media training for NBEC’s Founder and President, Dr. Joia Crear Perry, along with other members of the NBEC team. Last night (9/30/21), she appeared on PBS NewsHour to discuss the CDC’s urgent health advisory alerting physicians and other caregivers of the dire importance of COVID vaccination for people who are, or are considering becoming, pregnant. Here is her appearance:

What I love about this interview is how Dr. Crear Perry not only answers Amna Nawaz’s questions, but also adds information that is important and related to the topic being discussed. At the end, both the interviewer and the audience know a lot more about the topic than they did coming in. That should be every newsmaker’s goal in every interview.

I must confess to some egotistical pride in watching her work. She came into our session as a skilled communicator; I feel she left a more polished one.