2021 Black Breastfeeding Matters Walk

Black Breastfeeding Matters Walk Recap

The Recap

On Saturday, August 28, 2021 Soul Food for Your Baby hosted it's 2nd #BlackBreastfeedingMatters Walk in Leimert Park to celebrate Black Breastfeeding Week (August 25th - 31st). Community members and Black breastfeeding advocates came together to bring visibility to the benefits of breastfeeding, to honor Black lactation professionals, and to emphasize breastfeeding as a normal cultural practice. 

 The event opened with a welcome and statement from Soul Food for Your Baby's new Executive Director, Anju Kane. Anju shared why Black Breastfeeding Week is important and why breastfeeding is essential preventive care for our Black families. Anju also took time to acknowledge and commemorate all of the Black lactation professionals that were present. Following Anju's welcome message, Adjoa Jones of SLA/SB AAIMM CAT shared more about the #BreastChestfeedingWelcomedEverywhere campaign and why it is important to normalize breast and chest feeding in Black communities.  

 Walkers started at Black Women for Wellness and walked down Degnan Blvd. past local shops in Lemeirt Park Village with homemade posters and SLA/SB AAIMM CAT  #BreastChestfeedingWelcomedEverywhere campaign photos in hand. Walkers then travelled north on Crenshaw Blvd. where they enthusiastically encouraged drivers to honk for Black Breastfeeding. The walk continued to the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza and through the Crenshaw Farmers' Market where walkers were met with cheers and enthusiasm from both vendors and patrons. To conclude the walk, SFYB and Black breastfeeding advocates traveled back down Crenshaw Blvd. while chanting phrases such as, "the best milk is from your breast milk" and "the best milk is from your chest milk" (which definitely caught the eyes and ears of everyone in our path!).   

 The 2.5 mile walk concluded with thank you's and raffle prizes for the breastfeeding families that attended the event. SFYB was happy to have this chance to safely celebrate Black Breastfeeding Week in-person with our community and supporters.  

Our Why

For over forty years there has been a racial disparity in breastfeeding rates. The most recent CDC data shows that almost 75% of white women have ever breastfeed versus just 58% of Black women. And in 2021 there continues to be a breastfeeding disparity in both initiation and duration. But Black women need breastfeeding now more than ever -- one reason being because Black babies are 2 to 3 times more likely to die than white babies and need the nutritional benefits of breastmilk the most.

 Breastfeeding is a fundamental, free, and doable practice that can help lower the risks of other health conditions such as diabetes, obesity, respiratory conditions, and heart disease -- the types of underlying causes that have led to disproportionate numbers of COVID cases and deaths among Blacks.

 Because of the aforementioned disparities in breastfeeding and infant mortality, Soul Food for Your Baby was happy to highlight the importance of breastfeeding with our 2nd Black Breastfeeding Matters walk. 

Consider Donating to SFYB!

Consider making a donation to support the efforts of Soul Food for Your Baby! SFYB exists to promote and support breastfeeding in the African American community, starting in Los Angeles, in order to mitigate health inequities that can result by not breastfeeding. We currently provide free online breastfeeding classes and support groups to Black families and look forward to the day when we can safely meet in person again. 

SFYB was one of the first breastfeeding programs to quickly convert its services to an online platform at the beginning of the pandemic when many larger entities shuttered activities. We have provided a bridge of connection for families with parents returning for encouragement and camaraderie with others navigating nursing and parenthood.

As a small nonprofit, your gift makes a tremendous difference!

Your gift can help in the following ways:

• $10: Gift for a class participant
• $50: Funds an online support group
• $100: Supports one online breastfeeding class session
• $400: Incentives for 10 participants for both class sessions

Thank You!

We would like to extend a special thank you to our community partners that helped to make our walk a success. Thank you to Black Women for Wellness, the South LA/South Bay African American Infant and Maternal Mortality Community Action Team, The SLA/SB AAIMM CAT Black Breastfeeding Week Planning Committee, Black Infants and Families Los Angeles, and the Mu Chi Chapter of Chi Eta Phi Sorority. 

We also want to give special thanks to Seriki Art; Francia Telesford, Independent Arbonne Consultant; Padraic Kane, and Smart and Final Charitable Foundation for their special support of the Black Breastfeeding Matters Walk!

 Thank you for supporting our efforts to meet the needs of Black families during this time! Thank you for remembering that #BlackBreastfeedingMatters!

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