You know them. The moms\u00a0who rock headwraps. The ones who only eat vegan? You know, the ones who name their baby Quinoa!. Those are the only moms who breastfeed, right? Wrong.<\/p>\n
Today kicks off the 3rd annual Black Breastfeeding Week<\/a>. From August 25th-31st, African American women around the country are showing that not everyone who chooses to breastfeed is a \u201ccrunchy\u201d mom. This year, the women behind Black Breastfeeding Week are celebrating the strength, power, and unity of families and communities to Lift Every Baby<\/em>.<\/p>\n Founded by Kimberly Seals-Allers, award winning journalist and author of The Mocha Manual to A Fabulous Pregnancy<\/em>; Kiddada Green, founding executive director of Black Mother\u2019s Breastfeeding Association (BMBFA); and Anayah Sangodele-Ayoka,midwifery student and co-author of Free to Breastfeed:Voices of Black Mothers<\/em>; Black Breastfeeding Week aims to raise support and awareness of breastfeeding in the African American community.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026For years, the only images we saw\u00a0of black women breastfeeding were women from Africa\u2013tribal women with elongated earrings and dangling breasts.\u201d \u2013 Kimberly Seals-Allers, Co-Founder, Black Breastfeeding Week<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Black Breastfeeding Week exposes the nation to the millions of black women who breastfeed. She states that African American \u201cneighborhoods are virtual deserts when it comes to meaningful breastfeeding resources and support while they are\u00a0simultaneously flooded with aggressive infant formula marketing.\u201d Black Breastfeeding Week began in 2013 to combat the racial disparity in breastfeeding rates. The Center for Disease Control reports that while 75% of White women breastfeed, only 58.9% of black women\u00a0do.<\/p>\n This year\u2019s theme affirms family and community, asking breastfeeding moms to join in lifting up their babies on Saturday, August 29th at 2pm. Brooklyn\u2019s Ancient Song Doula Services<\/a> is coordinating \u201cReady, Set\u2026Lift Every Baby,\u201d a community event that celebrates motherhood and breastfeeding. Including an empowerment circle, womb wellness freebies, and a raffle, the doula collective is changing the way Brooklyn views breastfeeding.<\/p>\n