It’s Black Breastfeeding Week! While Black mamas aren’t at the forefront of the media coverage that shows women nursing, these moms are helping to show that Black mothers not only breastfeed — but they empower their communities to do the same. Why this matters? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports, “Black women have the lowest breastfeeding initiation rate of all racial groups at 69.4 percent, compared with 85.9 percent of white women, and 83.2 percent of women overall.“

Additionally, due to systemic racism and the lingering impacts of slavery, “Black mothers experience a disproportionate amount of barriers to breastfeeding, including knowledge about breastfeeding, lack of support from friends and family, insufficient education and support in healthcare settings and concerns about balancing breastfeeding and employment.⁣

While there is no one best way to nourish your baby, this week allows us to raise awareness and celebrate the resilience of Black mothers who are at the forefront of challenging these statistics. For Black Breastfeeding Week and beyond, follow these amazing Black women sharing their lives and their motherhood journeys with their followers every day. 

Kimberly Seals Allers

 

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Kimberly Seals Allers is an author, tech founder, and one of the three founders of Black Breastfeeding Week. To hear more about her work and movement to create equity in birth and breastfeeding, tune into BirthRight, her podcast about finding joy and healing in Black birth. 

Ashley Wright

 

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Ashley Wright is a badass breastfeeding, baby-wearing, attachment parenting, pole dancing, yogi mama who inspires and motivates men, women, families her way! Having organized the most attended World Breastfeeding Event to date with the Northeast Valley Health Corporation, she began to live out loud, using social media to build her village, increase her family and establish a strong support system, spreading the message of self-love, healing, and natural parenting.

Latham Thomas

 

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Named one of Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul 100, Latham supports women in embracing optimal wellness and spiritual growth as a pathway to empowerment. Latham is leading a revolution in radical self-care, guiding women everywhere to “mother themselves first”. A celebrity doula and maternal wellness maven, Latham is the founder of Mama Glow, a global women’s health and education brand serving women along the childbearing continuum. Mama Glow also offers a globally recognized doula immersion program attended by women from all corners of the USA and 6 continents. 

Her Holistic Path

 

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Olivyah is a holistic doula that provides services in the DMV area and shares educational content with her followers on holistic motherhood, natural childbirth misconceptions, preparing the body for delivery, breastfeeding, and more. 

Brandi Sellerz

 

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Brandi Sellerz is a mom of 3, author, doula, creator of Not So Private Parts, and the co-founder of Moms in Color. Daily she shares her life, wellness practices, and radical joy with her community.