To our Black mothers, our hearts are broken for and with you. We are listening and will support you in any and every way that we can.
To our non-Black mothers and community partners, if you haven’t done so already, please join us in taking immediate action for the Black community. Dismantling racism is the job of those of us who have privilege. Let’s get to work.
The events that have transpired over the last few weeks and days have us feeling heavy hearted. As Martin Luther King Jr. shared, “A riot is the language of the unheard.” We must change the way that we respond to the voices of our Black brothers and sisters. We must not only hear, we must also LISTEN and CHANGE.
With all the pain and mourning that is happening right now, we hope we can share some glimmers of hope amidst the brokenness. We announce our commitment to the Black Breastfeeding Week 2020 theme Revive! Restore! Reclaim! As is apparent in all areas of our society, perhaps some of the largest racial disparities are apparent in healthcare and in the birthing of our babies. Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In California, in-hospital data shows that 61.4% of African American mothers exclusively breastfeed compared with 81.0% of white mothers. If you want to read more about how systemic racism is evident in breastfeeding, please read our Equity Report. Racism affects so many facets of our healthcare system, the cards are stacked against our Black families before they even begin prenatal care.
The systemic oppression of Black Americans is deeply embedded in the history of the United States. Implicit bias and structural racism affect all aspects of our society, from our criminal and judicial system all the way to our healthcare system. We will fight to Revive! Restore! Reclaim! We stand in solidarity with the Black community. We will listen and are committed to change. Please join us.
Here are some steps you can take to fight structural racism today and make it a more prominent part of your activism moving forward.
Stand Up for Black Families: Donate to Organizations Doing the Work
Donate to Kindred Space LA’s Birth Center Fund here.
Donate to iDREAM for Racial Health Equity here.
Donate to Black Women for Wellness here.
Donate to support a scholarship for a Black woman to take our lactation consultant education course here.
The events of the past few weeks have been a tragic reminder of the systemic racism and injustices built into the fabric of our country, and we must stand together to dismantle those systems and structures. We can and will fight together. We are with you.
In solidarity,
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Arissa Palmer, Executive Director