SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- A former Illinois sheriff's deputy was sentenced Thursday to 20 years in prison for fatally shooting Sonya Massey, a Black woman who had dialed 911 to report a possible prowler outside her Springfield home.

Black women, even experts, face higher maternal mortality rates due to systemic racism in healthcare. Dr. Janell Green Smith, a respected midwife, died from childbirth complications, highlighting this crisis.