What is the significance of Black Breastfeeding Week?

Black Breastfeeding Week was originally designated in 2013 by nationally recognized breastfeeding advocates and Black maternal health trailblazers Kimberly Seals Allers, Kiddada Green, and Anayah Sangodele-Ayoka. Since its inception, the campaign has been held annually from August 25-31 with the intention of raising awareness and empowering breast/chestfeeding persons within the Black community. Black Breastfeeding Week’s purpose is to close the racial disparity gap in breastfeeding rates while encouraging folks in the medical field to provide lactating mothers and birthing persons with the support and resources that they need to begin and stay the course throughout their breast/chestfeeding journey. 

How does Black Breastfeeding Week tie into the objectives of the AAIMM Initiative?

In the United States, we are experiencing a Black maternal and Black infant health crisis. Black moms and babies are 3 to 4 times (and in some areas even 5-6) more likely to die during and after childbirth and during the first year of life than our white counterparts/white babies. The root cause is easy to identify: racism. The solution is not. Ending this disparity involves solutions that are comprehensive, far-reaching, and move beyond the category of a “Black problem” into where it belongs as a United States problem. Anthony Lake, Executive Director of the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), once said, “What if governments had a proven, cost-effective way to save babies’ lives, reduce rates of malnutrition, support children’s health, increase educational attainment and grow productivity? They do: It’s called breastfeeding. And it is one of the best investments nations can make in the lives and futures of their youngest members—and in the long-term strength of their societies.” 

Black breast/chestfeeding specifically addresses the high rates of Black infant & maternal mortality. It is a tool available to us that we can (and do) use to offset the negative impact of stress that racism, experienced in this country, has on our bodies and those of our babies. It is resistance. It is beauty. It is raw. It is activism in its truest and purest form.

Facts: Breastfeeding decreases rates of ear infections, asthma, gastrointestinal infections, SIDS, Lower Respiratory infections, Type 2 diabetes, and obesity in babies/children and decreases rates of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, overweight/obesity, and Type 2 diabetes in lactating individuals.

Los Angeles, California (August 24, 2021) —The African American Infant and Maternal Mortality (AAIMM) Prevention Initiative announces the activation of a weeklong campaign geared toward spreading awareness of Black Breastfeeding Week, which was officially recognized by the LA County Board of Supervisors in June 2021. Co-sponsored by the South LA/South Bay Community Action Team (SLASB AAIMM CAT) and the LA County AAIMM Prevention Initiative,“Support/Protect/Welcome Black Breast/Chest Feeding Everywhere” is the theme for the week with supporting sub-themes around breastfeeding, chestfeeding, and pumping. This campaign is also made possible through the support, guidance, information, and resources provided by partners BreastfeedLA, CinnaMoms  and March of Dimes. 

The terms "breastfeeding" and "chestfeeding" are used interchangeably and together to describe the action of feeding an infant human-milk. The term "chestfeeding" is offered as an alternate term for lactating persons that prefer not to use the term "breast" when referring to their own bodies. This is the AAIMM Prevention Initiative’s commitment to caring authentically about the well-being of all individuals and to inclusivity (adapted from BreastfeedLA).

Lydia O. Boyd is a Lactation Specialist who provides breast/chestfeeding support and education to expectant and current breast/chestfeeding families in Los Angeles County. In addition to supporting new parents during the early post-pregnancy period, she also provides care for the transition back to work or school after maternity leave, when weaning, and in the event of a pregnancy loss. Although she serves all families  regardless of race, the focus of her work is with Black-identifying families belonging to the African diaspora. 

Boyd’s 13 years of research and experience in counseling, coaching, and teaching other Black women throughout the breast/chestfeeding journey has made her especially qualified to speak to racial disparities within the birthing community and provides her with a unique perspective and position to support Black mothers, giving them a space where they feel centered and supported. “We are the mothers in the Black community,” Boyd stated, speaking of Black women. “We understand first-hand what we need.” Her work strives to provide a reconnection to the honor and pride of breast/chestfeeding that has been lost from years of oppression.

Men Taking Over Reforming Society (M.E.N.T.O.R.S., Inc.)

M.E.N.T.O.R.S., Inc. is on a mission to provide a space of refuge for the Black community in South Los Angeles. By facilitating support services for Black parents, M.E.N.T.O.R.S. creates social networks that are healthy, safe, and informative havens of growth. Peers and experts  work together to promote better outcomes for both parents and their babies.

One of the many things that sets Luna and Sol Yoga apart from other yoga studios is an emphasis on community which extends beyond the physical practice of yoga, to honor the roots of yogic tradition. Luna and Sol Yoga embodies the meaning of “oran a azu nwa (it takes a village)” by providing vital support to expectant mothers and their families.

THE BIG PAUSE: The Collective Rest for Collective Power

Calling all Black/African American Breast/Chest Feeding Families:

Click to access the Survey Form

"The only way that these issues will stay in the public domain, the only way we'll advance equality and justice and liberation, is if philanthropy keeps the window open." - Kaci Patterson  (AAIMM Steering Committee Member)

The statistics are alarming: 45% of children in California live in low-income households. Of that group of children, 57% are Black and 61% are Latino. Youth from low-income neighborhoods are 20% more likely to end up in prison and 61% of the incarcerated population are Black or Latino. Youth With a Purpose (YWAP) has made it its mission to weaken the school to prison pipeline and improve outcomes for low-income youth. And their plan starts at the very beginning: before birth.

(Los Angeles County, CA) “It takes a village to raise a child,” the African proverb states, and activation of that village begins before birth. In an effort to support healthy and joyous births for Black moms, families, and babies, the African American Infant and Maternal Mortality Prevention Initiative (AAIMM) has created a Tips to Activate Your Village Guide full of useful information and resources for each of the trimesters comprising the prenatal period and the first three months after the baby is born (the “fourth trimester”). The guide is now available for free to download from its website, blackinfantsandfamilies.org. 

San Fernando & Santa Clarita Valleys COVID-19 Panel: A Vaccine Conversation For African American Families
Held Wednesday, February 17th, 2021 from 10am-12pm

During this event we discussed concerns and explored options related to the COVID-19 vaccine with a panel of local medical and legal experts. It was an opportunity for our community to ask questions in a safe space. Panelists included:

•         Valley Presbyterian Hospital

•         General Counsel, Tamala Choma Esq.

•         Director of Women’s Services, Marcia Lynch, RN, MSN

•         Los Angeles County Department of Public Health – Tina Franco, MPH, Health Educator

•         September Williams, MD, Physician-Writer & Bioethicist

•         Kaiser Permanente – Sharon K. Okonkwo-Holmes, MD. Family Physician and Physician Lead for the Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Council

Panel discussion was moderated by Aqueelah Russell from Northeast Valley WIC

View the event recap below: