Black Breastfeeding Week!
Welcome and thanks for checking out the blog section of Amethyst Bumblebee! Subscribe or check back monthly or so for new posts + information! Today we’re going to talk a bit about Black Breastfeeding Week and why it’s so necessary!
Happy Black Breastfeeding Week to all of the Black parents out there navigating their way through the world of chestfeeding! BBW is a movement started by Kimberly Seals Allers, Kiddada Green, and Anayah Sangodele-Ayoka, 3 Black educators and birthing/breastfeeding professionals who wanted to address how uphill the boofeeding battle can be for Black folx, to normalize the act in public and on social media, and to show solidarity (I’m not doing their credentials any justice- we’re talking Forbes, Yale, Essence- I highly recommend looking up these amazing women)!
During BBW, lactation, support, or even just friend groups can host events where Black parents can meet up in person to chestfeed amidst support. For those who prefer to participate in other ways, they can be a part of the event on social media by sharing hashtags, photos, and stories (check below for this year’s hashtags).
If you aren’t familiar with BBW, or Black US history, you might be wondering why Black parents felt the need to set aside a time to celebrate their breastfeeding achievements. Unfortunately, Black mothers in America experience birth very differently than women of other races and the causes of these issues go all the way to this country’s history of chattel slavery. Although a great deal of what we know about gynecology comes from experiments done on unconsenting slaves, Black women in America have never had fair or equal access to adequate gynecological or obstetricianal care. Due to racial biases (like these: 1, 2, 3) and the effects of generations of systematic oppression, Black mothers are dying in childbirth at 3-4 times the rate of their white counterparts(NPR). That’s 243% more likely to die from pregnancy or childbirth related causes, which of course lends itself to the increasingly alarming rate of Black infant mortality.
It’s these same biases that make breastfeeding a challenge for Black folx, not to mention, we have a complicated history with breastfeeding. For centuries, Black women were forced to breastfeed their own oppressors against their will as slaves and wet nurses. That history of trauma paired with being redlined into areas without adequate hospitals or breastfeeding support (that often push formula on new mothers) has led to a stigma against breastfeeding in some areas of the Black community. Black Breastfeeding Week is one way that we’re fighting back as parents, grandparents, formerly breastfeed Black folx (like myself), and birth workers!
Another way we’re supporting Black parents is by normalizing images of us breastfeeding that would be otherwise excluded from mainstream media. Increasing visibility increases support, awareness, and lets struggling chestfeeders know that they aren’t alone! If you or someone you love is Black and breastfeeding, it might be nice to set aside some time for a special feeding-photoshoot with the little ones, or a raw, real picture of some of the challenges you’ve faced! Take a moment to celebrate this great achievement, or to embark on it with new inspiration if you haven't already! If you aren’t Black or breastfeeding but you want to show support, try sharing or liking pictures under the hashtags #BBW18 and #LoveOnTop, and sharing articles and posts talking about some of the issues facing Black mothers (like this one)!
Have fun out there! Your doula,
Frankie F.