Zea Malawa is a Black mother and a paediatrician working in San Francisco, California. She runs the Abundant Birth Project, a guaranteed income pilot project for Black pregnant people experiencing marginalisation. We caught up with Zea at the 22nd Basic Income Guarantee Conference in San Francisco, California to discuss the racism inside America’s health disparities and what monetary support can do to narrow the gap.
Neil Howard (BTS): What does a guaranteed income mean for pregnant people of colour?
Zea Malawa: On a technical level, a guaranteed income means providing cash in an ongoing, predictable and regular way for folks to use however they see fit. It’s about recognising that poverty is not a monolith and that low-income folks have a variety of different needs. This includes the most basic needs, such as shelter, food and health care.
