Christy Turlington Burns Says Structural Racism Behind USA's Rising Maternal Mortality

Supermodel, activist and philanthropist Christy Turlington Burns appears in InStyle USA August 2020., styled by. Julia Von Boehm in Chanel, Dior, Emporio Armani, Max Mara, Prada, and more, Sebastian Faena captures Christy for ‘Role Model’, with an interview by Laura Brown.

Christy on pausing her modeling career to pursue education in 1996

“If you equate being a badass to taking risks, then for me it was when I paused my modeling career [in 1995] and applied to New York University. I thought, “If this all stops tomorrow, I want to be on the path to becoming a full human being.” It was scary at the time, but I was ready, and as soon as I’d made that decision, everything fell into place. I applied, got in, and started school within five months. And I made sure that there was a clause written into my [modeling] contracts that my clients had to agree to. People respected it. I spoke up for myself, and everyone kind of rallied around me.”

Turlington Burns on her foundation Every Mother Counts

I started Every Mother Counts 10 years ago, and our mission is to improve maternal health for mothers everywhere, with a focus on the most marginalized and vulnerable populations. There are people of color in every country we work in. We started programs trying to dismantle the racism that exists in every one of those places, including the U.S. Why are we one of the only industrialized countries with a rising maternal mortality rate? At the top of that list is structural racism, the way Black women are treated, and that they’re not listened to. The work here is ongoing.

Christy Turlington Burns on empathy

Empathy is central to what we do. It’s really about being human. I believe in the goodness of people and think that it is stronger than all the other stuff. But I do feel that people require guidance and need to practice kindness. Listening and learning is a big part of that, particularly at this time. You can’t just say, “I’m a compassionate person,” or “I’m a spiritual person.” You’ve got to show it!

Read the entire interview and see all the fashion credits at InStyle Magazine.