Central Valley Daily

May 13: Doulas Are Helping Black Mothers In Bakersfield. Here’s Why That Matters.

By Soreath Hok,

Published May 13, 2026 at 4:35 AM PDT

Ways To Subscribe

Expecting Black mothers are more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white mothers. It’s a national statistic that holds true in Kern County. On today’s episode, Cecil Egbele with the Bakersfield Observer explains the statistics and why doulas can help Black mothers-to-be in Kern County.

Plus, the latest news headlines: Election officials urge early voting; and California is monitoring four people exposed to a hantavirus outbreak.

Central Valley Daily

Soreath Hok

Soreath Hok is a multimedia journalist with experience in radio, television and digital production. She is a 2022 National Edward R. Murrow Award winner. At KVPR, she is currently the local host of KVPR's Central Valley Daily podcast.

See stories by Soreath Hok

Elizabeth Arakelian

A Valley native, Elizabeth earned her bachelor's degree in English Language Literatures from the University of California, Santa Cruz and her master's degree in journalism from New York University. She has covered a range of beats. Her agriculture reporting for the Turlock Journal earned her a first place award from the California Newspaper Publishers Association.

See stories by Elizabeth Arakelian

Jonathan Linden

Jonathan Linden is a podcast producer at KVPR. Born and raised in Riverside, he's a Southern California native. Jonathan's passion for public radio began at a young age when his brother would play NPR while driving him home from middle school. He earned his B.A. in journalism from Biola University in 2019.

See stories by Jonathan Linden