Woke NYC health official ripped for calling Whites 'birthing people' and minority moms 'mothers'
The top health official in New York City sparked quite a backlash on Twitter following a series of tweets that saw her refer to Whites as "birthing people" and Blacks and Hispanics as "mothers."
Dr Michelle E Morse, the first medical officer at the NYC Department of Health, tweeted on Thursday, March 24, about the expansion of a new citywide "birth equity" initiative. In a lengthy Twitter thread on the micro-blogging platform, Morse, who is also the department's deputy commissioner for the Center for Health Equity and Community Wellness, referred to White moms by the woke term "birthing people" while calling Black and Hispanic moms as "mothers."
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"The urgency of this moment is clear," Morse wrote on Twitter. "Mortality rates of birthing people are too high, and babies born to Black and Puerto Rican mothers in this city are three times more likely to die in their first year of life than babies born to non-Hispanic White birthing people," she added.
The urgency of this moment is clear. Mortality rates of birthing people are too high, and babies born to Black and Puerto Rican mothers in this city are three times more likely to die in their first year of life than babies born to non-Hispanic White birthing people.
— Dr. Michelle E. Morse (@NYCHealthCMO) March 23, 2022
Morse sparked outrage on social media and was accused of segregating mothers based on race.
"White Mothers are called 'birthing people' and black and Puerto Rican Mothers are called Mothers? Your license to practice medicine should be revoked," conservative writer Kimberly Morine tweeted.
"My mother Francesca who is white was delivered by a midwife who was white under a sink on Stillman Street in a cold-water flat back in the 1920s," former NYC mayoral candidate Curtis Sliwa wrote. "According to Dr. Morse, what would that make my grandmother? How ridiculous," he remarked.
"This is why people are losing faith in the medical system, racism goes both ways," one Twitter user chimed in.
"The phrase 'birthing people' needs to be canceled. People is plural and while a father is part of the baby as much as the mother only 1 person gives birth and no matter her race she is a mother," someone else offered.
"As a person of color who is brown. One whose grandfather immigrated to America I’m highly offended by you calling whites berthing people and others mothers. All who birth children are mothers whether you want to accept that or not," another added.
White Mothers are called 'birthing people' and black and Puerto Rican Mothers are called Mothers? Your license to practice medicine should be revoked.
— Kimberly Morin (@Conservativeind) March 24, 2022
My mother Francesca who is white was delivered by a midwife who was white under a sink on Stillman Street in a cold water flat back in the 1920's. According to Dr Morse what would that make my grandmother? How ridiculous
— Curtis Sliwa (@CurtisSliwa) April 2, 2022
This is why people are losing faith in the medical system, racism goes both ways.
— Michele Dawn Croskrey (@mommalatte_5) March 27, 2022
The phrase “birthing people” needs to be canceled. People is plural and while a father is part of the baby as much as the mother only 1 person gives birth and no matter her race she is a mother.
— 4freedomofspeech (@4freedomofspee1) April 3, 2022
As a person of color who is brown. One whose grandfather immigrated to America I’m highly offended by you calling whites berthing people and others mothers. All who birth children are mothers whether you want to accept that or not.
— Michael Andrews 💎The SoSevere Experience💎 (@So_Severe) April 3, 2022
Speaking to the New York Post, a DOH spokesman said Morse's tweet was an "oversight" and that the department apologizes for "inadvertently gendering Black and Puerto Rican birthing people." That said, Morse's Twitter thread came after the DOH declared racism a public health crisis in New York City.
The department passed a resolution last June declaring racism a public health crisis in the city, thus setting the foundation for an anti-racism agenda after the board claimed Covid-19 the pandemic had impacted minorities more than others. The resolution was reportedly approved by an 11-member board, most of whom were appointed by former Mayor Bill de Blasio. "To build a healthier New York City, we must confront racism as a public health crisis," Health Commissioner Dr Dave A Chokshi said in a statement. "The COVID-19 pandemic magnified inequities, leading to suffering disproportionately borne by communities of color in our City and across our nation. But these inequities are not inevitable," he added.
The resolution aims to expand the department's anti-racism efforts within the city, including setting up a Data for Equity internal working group to ensure there is an "equality" lens while issuing public health guidelines and improving data on race, gender, and other demographics by working with sister organizations. Chokshi, in his statement, said the decision "officially recognized" the crisis and "demanded action" towards the same.
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