Black Breastfeeding | Breastfeeding...It's a Beautiful Thing

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Breastfeeding equality: photography in black and white
Monday, July 2, 2007

Last week I received a comment from a reader who was personally offended by the picture of the black breastfeeding sharecropper that I posted last week. She was offended because she didn't like that white photographers in the 1930s and 40s exploited black women's breasts while not doing the same to white women. This argument, while certainly conceivable, simply is not true. Here are just a few pictures of white breastfeeding mothers during the war era I have run across in the Library of Congress collections.

*Note: Typically when I post historic photos I tell you a little about the people involved, what they are doing, as well as link to their information pages on the Library of Congress Web site. This weekend, however, when I was looking through pictures I thought I had properly bookmarked their respective pages, but hadn't. I do remember, though, that the first picture is of a poor family in Appalachia. The second is a picture of drought refugees who lost their home and are camping by the roadside. The third picture is of a wife of a migrant worker. And the fourth is a picture of the famous "Migrant Mother" taken by Dorothea Lange.

Labels: breastfeeding history

posted by Jennifer James @ 7:54 AM,

13 Comments:

At July 2, 2007 9:22 AM, roslynholcomb said...: What?!? How could anyone say that. You've got a picture of a white woman nursing in the very previous post from the same time period. Does that emailer read your blog? I think you even said that you had an easier time finding pictures of nursing white women than you did black. Again, folk just looking for stuff to be pissed off about.
At July 2, 2007 3:58 PM, Fat Lady said...: More great pictures Jennifer. Again and again, it's wonderful to see these images of people nursing and seeing that they are completely unconcerned about whether or not their breasts are showing. I also love seeing, in so many of these pictures, that these people aren't nursing infants, but toddlers. These days most people accept the fact breastmilk is wonderful for infants, but they seem to think that the instant it stops being the sole nutrition, or the primary nutrition, that it's strange, unnecessary, or even immoral to let a child continue to nurse.

Despite the World Health Organization's recommendation that children continue to nurse until AT LEAST 2 years old, most people start looking at you sideways and giving you a really hard time if you continue to nurse your child past 12 months old. I'm always thrilled with photographs and other art work that shows nursing toddlers. That's something people need to get comfortable with as well.
At July 2, 2007 4:03 PM, Fat Lady said...: Also, I forgot to mention, that while I love these pictures, and while I certainly have been a dissenter on your blog, I think you have to be careful about allowing those who disagree with you to influence and shape your content.

I think your blog content is at its very best when you are sharing your perspective rather than defending your ideas against others.
At July 2, 2007 4:19 PM, rach said...: Thanks for these pics. I too love that these are mostly of toddlers nursing and that it is so normal! Thanks for giving varying views of nursing.
At July 2, 2007 4:51 PM, Jennifer James said...: It didn't even dawn on me that these children were toddlers. But, Fat Lady, you are so right. WOW! Also, you bring up a great point about not defending myself. It gets hard sometimes especially after someone just yipped, yipped, yipped at my heels. You just want to turn around and swat 'em. This was my way of giving a backhand.

Hi roslyn: Yes, I agree. I think a few people want to gripe, but don't even take the time to read my blog every day.

Hi rach: So glad you liked the pictures. It is great that they are toddlers, isn't it?
At July 3, 2007 8:16 AM, RuralMama said...: I love these pictures you have been posting lately!

My grandma grew up during the Depression (rural Midwest), and she tells me that she can remember seeing women nurse in the middle of church services. She says that they would just modify their dresses to make nursing openings, much like what specialty stores sell now.

It makes me sad that now, 70 years later, it is such a big deal to nurse in public that I myself have always taken my daughter to another room to nurse her, for fear of offending someone.
At July 3, 2007 9:49 AM, Radical Catholic Mom said...: I love these pictures! Thank you so much for posting them and educating the general public how much we have lost in our culture!
At July 3, 2007 12:59 PM, Jennifer James said...: Hi ruralmama and radical catholic mom -- So glad you both stopped by and left comments. I am so glad you have enjoyed the pictures I've been posting lately. It lets me know it's all been worth it. Hope you stop by often!
At July 3, 2007 3:45 PM, Radical Catholic Mom said...: Ruralmomma, I was thinking about what you said. Don't remove yourself from the room. If people are offended it is THEIR issue not your's. My family (brothers/sisters) were really bothered initially when I would nurse my daughter in front of them or in public, but they soon got used to it, mainly because that is ALL my daughter wanted to do the first 7 months. Change will never occur unless we make it happen.
At July 3, 2007 11:00 PM, mAsOn & tErrI's mOm said...: I'm not even going to comment on the ignorant commentor...just know that they are gong to come back to your page...

But I love you r pictures! And why could they not capture a smiling mom back in the 30s and 40s breastfeeding?
At July 4, 2007 11:34 PM, Jennifer James said...: Good point about the smiling, Mason and Terri's mom!
At July 10, 2007 6:03 PM, Gem said...: I don't think there are many pictures of anyone smiling from this era and class, breastfeeding or not. I know we have Depression-era pictures of my grandmother's family (dustbowl farmers) and there are very few smiley pictures.
At July 15, 2007 1:14 AM, 2-10 said...: Thanks for these pictures. Bravo for the nursing toddlers in the pics! I have a 2 year old & a 1 year old, and I am nursing them both to this day. In fact the 1 year old was nursed exclusively the 1st year. She just recently started to eat food.

About the not smiling in the pictures thing, look at family pictures from other countries around the world and you will not find anyone smiling, unless the camera caught them off guard.

I lived in Kenya during college (where I met my Kenyan husband), and any pictures that fellow African students had of their families showed people with expessions exactly like what I see in the pictures you have posted here. What my African friends thought was REALLY bizarre was when one of us American students would try to take a picture of them and tell them to "smile." Same thing goes for my best friend from India. She is the most joyous, outgoing person in the world. Yet the second you put a camera on her, she not only doesn't smile, she almost scowls, just like the women in these pictures! I hazard to guess that is has become a cultural American thing to say "cheese" for the camera. Perhaps we are the weird ones from the rest of the world! ;) LOL

Sorry to get long-winded. Love your blog. ;)