Black Breastfeeding Week: Honoring the resilience of Black birthing families
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- 3 min read
Breastfeeding gives babies a healthy start — and it's good for moms, too.
Breastfeeding gives your baby the nutrients it needs (like fat, sugar, water, protein, and minerals) to grow and thrive. Breast milk helps babies develop a strong immune system and protect them from illnesses like asthma, diabetes, and sudden unexpected infant death (SUID).
At last year's Nurture in Color event, lactation activist and educator Janauvia McCall said, "I fell in love with liquid gold and just being able to nourish my son with my body. I think it’s a beautiful experience and I think we all deserve the opportunity to experience it.”
Parents who breastfeed have lower rates of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and type 2 diabetes. Breastfeeding parents may also experience less bleeding after giving birth.
It's important to note that while breastfeeding has many benefits, not every mom is able to breastfeed. There are many ways a parent can feed their baby, and we support whatever feeding method that keeps mom and her baby healthy.
Breastfeeding is an incredible gift that can help both babies and their mothers live healthy lives — yet some women face barriers that make breastfeeding difficult or feel impossible.
“I watched my mom struggle as a single mom trying to learn parenthood on her own and breastfeeding being a journey in itself," said Nurture in Color panelist Lauryn Bell, who works as a holistic birth worker and doula.
"I had to go out in my community and find those that were breastfeeding and create a village of people around me that supported my desires and my wishes to feed my son," McCall said.
Black Breastfeeding: Past & Present
Research shows that, due to a long history of prejudice and racism, Black women are less likely to breastfeed, and when they do, they often stop breastfeeding sooner than white women. This isn't a cultural issue – it's a systemic one.
During the time of slavery, Black women were often forced to breastfeed the children of slave owners while not being able to care for their own babies. In the mid-1900s, infant formula exploited that history and began advertising specifically to Black families, claiming formula was the same – if not better than - breastfeeding.
This targeted and unfair marketing strategy is still affecting communities. Hospitals have been reported to be nine times more likely to offer formula to Black moms than white moms.
“My journey starts because they said we couldn’t," McCall said. "When I was asked what would be the way that I was going to feed by baby, I said, ‘breastfeeding,’ and I was virtually laughed at and said that ‘we don’t breastfeed.’ And I took that home with me.”
Many breastfeeding parents return to work after birth. Black women are more likely to experience breastfeeding prejudice in their workplaces and have less paid maternity leave to spend with their babies.
Atkin Monique Thomas, a doula and 2025 Nurture in Color panelist, remembered, “Some of those barriers I did experience in the military was, one, not having safe spaces to pump when I was at work and them ridiculing me or making it seem like it was ... a burden to ask for a place to pump.”
These barriers to breastfeeding are real and can have major effects on long-term health.
Safe and Healthy for All
Kitsap Public Health District firmly believes everyone deserves a safe and healthy birth experience. One way we are working to achieve this is through our Black Infant Thrive (BIT) program.
"It's so important to support Black breastfeeding women," said Gabby Outlaw-Spencer, BIT community health educator. "When we lift up Black voices, we help Black motherhood become more visible and celebrated."
Black Infant Thrive is dedicated to a future where every Black birthing family in Kitsap has access to quality healthcare, a strong support system, and a positive birthing outcome — including being able to breastfeed with confidence.
We're helping build this future by:
Increasing social networks for Black families to build communities of support
Strengthening partnerships with local organizations to improve maternal services
Promoting welcoming and culturally appropriate prenatal and postpartum care
Fostering civic engagement and community leadership to improve maternal health
Nurture in Color
Join us on Aug. 28 to recognize Black Breastfeeding Week at our third annual Nurture in Color. This event will have a community panel and interactive art exhibit that honors the resilience, strength, and stories of Black birthing families.
You can watch our 2025 Nurture in Color community panel on Vimeo or by clicking on the video below:
Questions?
Want to learn more about Black Infant Thrive? Contact us at BIT@KitsapPublicHealth.org or 360-233-7379.
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