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The Black Breastfeeding Blog was created by Jennifer James as a way to reach black mothers who are currently breastfeeding or who want to breastfeed in the future. As a former breastfeeding mother of two daughters (who she breastfed for two years each), Jennifer believes in the powerful healing properties of breast milk and believes all black moms should at least start the nursing process to increase the health of their babies.

Send your breastfeeding photos to me at info (at) mommytoo (dot) com.

Am I On the Right Blog?
Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Labels: breastfeeding in public, commentary

posted by Jennifer James @ 4:21 AM, , links to this post

When Art is Wrong
Saturday, January 26, 2008

I have never in my life condemned a work of art. Ever. I have always respected art and artists' perspectives --as off-balance as some of them are. But this photograph by Vanessa Beecroft simply goes beyond the pale of decency and respect and is, in fact, racist and exploitative.

I don't know what Beecroft is trying to say in this photograph. Now that I think about it, her artistic voice here is irrelevant because her use of little African babies for her own personal game/gain is narcissistic, as long-time reader Eilat pointed out, and fits well in the long-time exploitation of Africans and blacks in general.

According to the Washington Post article I mentioned yesterday Beecroft nursed these babies for two weeks -- their mother had died in childbirth -- but she only did so (I'm convinced) because her breasts were engorged because she had been nursing her own child before she went to Africa.

If Beecroft had simply nursed these two babies in need of breast milk I would have no problem with that whatsoever. But she nursed these babies to photograph them for the Western world, to be provocative, to grab headlines, and to get her usual $50,000 paycheck. A big round of applause for her; she succeeded.

Now that I'm writing this I'm getting mad all over again!

Throughout history artists, writers, researchers, and historians have routinely used white and black to illustrate good over evil, clean over dirty, pure over polluted. Beecroft did this once again and it is unbelievable that she did so in 2006! Didn't she get the memo that being a flat-out racist isn't cool?

I will write more in-depth tomorrow because I am still seething.

Before I go I wanted to point you to a short motion picture created by Thomas A. Edison, Inc in 1896. It's called A Morning Bath where Edison used a very dark baby and white soapy suds to illustrate clean (white) and dirty (the black race).



Here's the official summary:
From Maguire & Baucus catalogues (summary edited to remove offensive words): This scene presents a[n]... African mother in the act of giving her struggling [child] a bath in a tub of suds. This is a clear and distinct picture in which the contrast between the complexion of the bather and the white soapsuds is strongly marked. A very amusing and popular subject.

If you'd like to watch the short motion picture you must have QuickTime, Windows Media Player or Real Media. It's about ten seconds long.

Watch now and note the similarities. Racism at its finest -- 1896 and now.

Labels: Africa, breastfeeding news, commentary

posted by Jennifer James @ 7:41 AM, , links to this post

Mother Sues for Being Forced to Express Breast Milk in Dirty Bathroom
Sunday, January 6, 2008

Breastfeeding mothers who have been discriminated against are standing up, staging protests, and suing companies they've patronized and now, are even suing their employers.

Patricia Lee, an ex-factory worker at the Swan Corporation, is suing her former employer because she alleges Swan management made her pump breast milk in a dirty, hot, cramped toilet stall.

Lee contends management harassed her about using her breaks to pump breast milk and eventually forbade her to use her break and told her she had to clock out each time she needed to express milk. She's also suing for lose of income and benefits, mental anguish, embarrassment, loss of reputation, and inconvenience.

Don't think she has a leg to stand on? Here's what Illinois law says,

"An employer shall provide reasonable unpaid break time each day to an employee who needs to express breast milk for her infant child. The break time must, if possible, run concurrently with any break time already provided to the employee.

Ouch.

Patricia is about to get paid.

Here's my question: If you were in Patricia's place do you think you would have mustered the gumption, will, courage, and spunk to sue, or would you have continued to pump in filth. Would you or have you ever attended a nurse-in?

Labels: breastfeeding news, commentary

posted by Jennifer James @ 6:51 AM, , links to this post

Breastfeeding Envy
Saturday, January 5, 2008

For breastfeeding to be such a wonderful thing for mothers and babies, it sure is met with a lot of animus from mothers on the other side of the infant feeding debate.

We've heard it countless times before: women who can't or don't breastfeed feel inadequate if they don't feed their babies naturally.

And, I've said it here a few times also. When mothers become angry (more like envious) and feel guilty because their child is being fed formula, it has absolutely nothing to do with lactivists or the breastfeeding community, rather, it has something to do with them!

Dana Barbuto wrote a rather snide article last month called "There's more to motherhood than just breastfeeding". Even though I've known about this article for a few weeks, I didn't know if I wanted to meet it head-on, but then I decided this morning -- why not? Lactivists and nursing mothers are always getting bopped over the head by these vocal "guilty" mothers, so why not fight back?

These mothers remind me of the kids in school who used to complain about having too much homework and resented those of us who worked hard and got good grades. They wanted the entire "excel in school" philosophy torn down because they couldn't meet the gold standard.

I know there are some mothers who cannot breastfeed for whatever reason, but what does that have to do with me? If mothers don't want to or can't breasted, so be it. Every mother should own her own choices. But, I'm not going to adjust my philosophy about and advocacy for breastfeeding for a few whiny mothers; babies deserve better.

Labels: commentary

posted by Jennifer James @ 6:16 AM, , links to this post

When Booze Beckons: Mommies Who Drink
Thursday, January 3, 2008

Booze and breastfeeding don't mix. Period. I don't care how little alcohol is actually present in breast milk when a mom consumes one glass of wine or if a mom uses MilkScreen to closely monitor her milk's alcohol content.

My question is: Why imbibe? You're only going to throw yourself into a royal panic wondering how long alcohol stays in your body and -- Oh My God! -- am I hurting my baby? I write this from experience.

When my oldest daughter was almost two I decided to have a glass of white wine long after I had put her to bed. The wine was really good, but the next morning I couldn't shake how scared I was that I may be harming my daughter. Of course, she was fine, but the angst and the worry! -- it wasn't worth it.

Last year there was a huge kerfuffle around the momosphere about mommies who drink at playdates. I think Cocktail Playdates are irresponsible and ridiculous no matter how cleverly mothers mask vodka for water. I just think it's dumb, to put it simply.

And so when mothers write about how they cannot go without drinking while breastfeeding I have to question their priorities. It's not like breastfeeding is a lifelong necessity like watching what you eat or making sure you exercise regularly. Breastfeeding is temporary, as in it only lasts for a season. When a mother finishes nursing she can kick back and down Highballs like the big boys for all I care, but after, not during breastfeeding.

There is a brilliantly written essay in the Independent about a mother who longed to drink after breastfeeding and when the time came to finally get as liquored up as she could stand, she didn't like it. She was a mother, not a college co-ed for goodness sakes and she wisely realized the subtle difference.

We live in a generation where we're sternly instructed not to "lose ourselves" when we become mothers. I agree to a degree. There's nothing wrong with losing ourselves when it comes to the health and well-being of our children; in fact that type of "mommy loss" should be championed as it exemplifies the unselfishness of mothers. Some moms just get it twisted: It's not always about me, me, me all of the time no matter what so-called experts recommend. Plus, there's so much more to life than a vodka martini.

Can you tell I haven't had my coffee this morning?

Labels: breastfeeding news, commentary

posted by Jennifer James @ 8:42 AM, , links to this post

Wouldn't You Love a Two-Hour Nursing Break?
Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Sometimes this country can be so backwards when it comes to the rights of women and children. Mothers who work and try to continue breastfeeding their babies typically have to go through ropes simply to get a nursing break (without the sneers of their colleagues), and/or find a comfortable spot in their workplace to pump. It's a shame that nursing mothers in this country are not given the accommodation they need to pump in peace.

Labels: breastfeeding news, commentary

posted by Jennifer James @ 11:39 PM, , links to this post

My Mommy Boobs
Thursday, December 20, 2007

I have to say I really love my breasts! We've been through a lot since they arrived unexpectedly (at least for me) during puberty. We've gone through junior high school boys calling me "Big Jugs", unsuccessful, rushed department store bra fittings, and the absolute delight in finally finding the perfect bra. And of course, my boobs and I fed my babies, without question one of the greatest joys of my entire life.

But these days many moms are quite unapologetic about replacing the breasts they were born with with taut, perkier, presumably sexier ones. I read today in a BBC article that increasingly mothers are opting for breast uplifts "to redress the effects of breast-feeding and pregnancy on women's shape."

I think it's a sad state of affairs when women find it necessary to erase all signs of motherhood, like stretch marks, belly bulge and saggy breasts are some sort of Godly curse. I know for me it would be like losing two great friends if I cosmetically altered my breasts in any way. I would feel like I purposely erased a crucial chapter in my life, a chapter that defines who I really am. I don't care if my breasts eventually sag below my knees when I'm forty; they're my breasts and I'm proud of them. They ARE me.

What do you think?

Labels: commentary, news

posted by Jennifer James @ 12:45 PM, , links to this post

Merck Vaccines Recalled
Thursday, December 13, 2007

And doctors, the CDC and health officials wonder why parents increasingly opt NOT to get their babies vaccinated. I haven't been reading mom blogs and message boards much today, but it seems as though there really isn't much outrage about this mass Merck vaccine recall.

Parents don't want their children to get sick and die from horrendous diseases, but they also don't want them to get sick and/or die due to a pharmaceutical vaccine either. This is horrible.

Labels: commentary

posted by Jennifer James @ 3:24 PM, , links to this post

Is Infant Formula Good For Society?
Friday, December 7, 2007

Today as I was going through Depression era photos a pertinent question came to mind: Is infant formula good for society at all? The reason I asked myself this and now ask you is because of the following two photographs.

This baby was too weak to suckle, so the nurse is feeding him infant formula through the Gavage Method in November 1942. The Gavage Method sends food through a tube directly to the stomach. Would this sick baby have been able to suckle at his mother's breasts. In the 40s, were mothers able to express milk from their breasts and if so, how effectively?

And the photograph below also made me think. Here is an infant being fed formula at the United Nations nursery in Washington, D.C. in December 1943. By setting up nurseries for children, were women able to finally "get out of the kitchen" and gain independence for themselves?

So, again my question is: Is infant formula good for society? Does infant formula deserve meritorious recognition on any level? Or, has infant formula been the primary catalyst to depriving babies of the best nutrition possible and has it led to women thinking more about their careers than their babies?

Oh, by the way, I'm not getting "soft" on formula-feeding, just throwing a question out there.

Labels: commentary

posted by Jennifer James @ 11:16 AM, , links to this post

WIC Revisions
Thursday, December 6, 2007

Eight million women who are WIC clients will now be eligible to buy fruits, vegetables and whole grains with their food vouchers and the amount of dairy and egg products has been reduced. States have until August 2009 to implement all of the changes. I think this is great for mothers and children. Kudos to WIC.

RANT TIME
However, when the new, official food package was proposed in September of last year, fully-breastfeeding mothers were not allowed to receive any formula at all based on the proposal. But when the state WIC associations wrote in to voice their support and recommendations for the proposal every state recommended that fully-breastfeeding mothers should be allowed to receive at least one can of powdered formula because they claimed many women on the WIC rolls do not believe they can produce enough milk to properly nourish their infants. These women, the states claim, routinely want a can of formula "just in case". The states contend that if breastfeeding mothers were not allowed at least one can of formula then they would opt to not breastfeed simply to receive the infant formula.

My question is this: Why would the states shoot down the efforts of the federal WIC agency to refuse to give breastfeeding mothers any formula? In my opinion, I think breastfeeding WIC mothers should be given a little more credit. If there was proper breastfeeding counseling and peer support then these nursing mothers would have all the confidence they need to breastfeed their babies. The state WIC agencies, however, have more confidence in a can of formula. They're no better than the hospitals that give out goody bags with free formula samples.

Labels: commentary

posted by Jennifer James @ 10:58 AM, , links to this post

Breastfeeding Advocates -- Browbeaters?
Saturday, December 1, 2007

There's a fairly decent article about the benefits of breastfeeding in the LA Times today, although I don't particularly like its headline: Breast or bottle? No final answer yet. Frankly, after reading the article I don't see how its title adequately reflects its content, but then again you can't sell papers by simply saying: Turns out, breastfeeding is best. People will glance past that in a heartbeat. But create a little ambivalence and people are more apt to read.

There's a doctor mentioned in the article, Dr. Darshak Sanghavi, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, who reporters always target to get a medical professional's dissenting opinion on the benefits of breastfeeding. He said:

that the focus should be on helping women who want to breast-feed, rather than "browbeating" those who don't.

Browbeating?

I bet he has never said in his life that the tactics the formula industry uses on a daily basis via T.V. commercials, W.I.C., radio spots, direct mailings, hospital goody bags with samples AND coupons, V.I.P treatment of doctors AND nurses AND administrators, newspaper and magazine advertising, e-coupons, stealth blogs, interest groups that bully government agencies, and Internet ad placements is "browbeating". No, the formula industry doesn't "browbeat" mothers. In his opinion they're just providing an alternative feeding option for mothers.

Give me a break!

Labels: commentary

posted by Jennifer James @ 5:40 AM, , links to this post

And Again, I'm Complaining
Wednesday, November 21, 2007

This will be the last bit of complaining I'll do for the week. It's nearly Thanksgiving and I'm supposed to be counting my many blessings. Sometimes, though, a few gripes aired in the open are good for the soul.

Last night while on the Net I saw a post about the Falsie Awards put on by the Center for Media and Democracy. From their site:

At the end of each year, CMD issues the "Falsies Awards," to recognize the people and players that take spin and propaganda to new lows. We need you to help identify the worst of the worst hard at work in 2007. We have put together a juicy selection of nominees -- but we need you to vote and tell us who deserves the Falsies this year.

One of the nominees is the International Formula Council (IFC) because this year they covertly launched MomsFeedingFreedom.com and BabyFeedingChoice.org. (I didn't hyperlink to them because I don't want to give them traffic.)

In all honesty I could care less about these sites because I believe in everyone's right to free speech. But as much as they push formula feeding, I will continue to advocate for breastfeeding. Fair enough.

The thing that ticked me off, though, is one of the bloggers on MomsFeedingFreedom.com, I discovered, is Barbara Dehn. Do you know why I know her name? Because her PR people sent me a breastfeeding chart to review when I first started this blog in January. I gave it a glowing review. I wouldn't have considered it had I known her ties with the IFC.

GRRR!

Labels: commentary

posted by Jennifer James @ 12:07 PM, , links to this post

Purporting Half-Truths
Tuesday, November 20, 2007

For as long as I live and breath no one will ever be able to convince me that breastfeeding is not the best feeding option for every baby on the planet -- barring very unique circumstances. Although mothers do have the option to breast or bottle feed, breastfeeding will always (no matter what anyone purports) remain the optimal form of infant nutrition. Period. Who told me so? Nature did. That said, I am always cautious when I read articles like this one from Reuters Health. It reports a new study out of Germany links protein lipids in breast milk to an increased risk of a child becoming overweight by age 2. Now, I've heard it all!

What else will people/researchers come up with to scare new mothers out of breastfeeding their children? Most people aren't like those of us who blog, research, and do in-depth reading about breastfeeding. A mother may hear in passing that breastfeeding may cause her child to become overweight and there it goes: A child doesn't receive the natural benefits of breast milk simply because his mother is scared to death that he will become fat all because of an inconclusive study. Unbelievable!

I was also reading an article on Slate.com today called Race, genes, and intelligence. The article brought up the breastfeeding and intelligence study that came out last week reporting breast milk makes a child smarter only if the child has a certain gene. According to this same article (with research from the International HapMap Project) 2.2 percent of the project's Chinese-Japanese population samples, 5 percent of its European-American samples, and 10 percent of its Nigerian samples lack the gene" that would make them smarter if breastfed and may even make them less smart. It's not a huge leap, then, to see a possible link may be forged that claims breastfeeding is intellectually disadvantageous for blacks. I can see it coming already.

For some reason there seems to be a push to make breastfeeding less attractive to new mothers and I really don't understand the reasoning behind this push. But I do know it happens. After all, it has happened before.
Aid to Dependent Children Under the Social Security Act. A mother's loving care and a bottle apparently are the best security a child can have. Between 1940 and 1946 [Emphasis and arrow mine.]

Labels: commentary

posted by Jennifer James @ 12:24 PM, , links to this post

Our Unhealthy Obsession With Intelligence
Friday, November 16, 2007

Labels: breastfeeding news, commentary

posted by Jennifer James @ 8:50 AM, , links to this post

It's Beyond Me!
Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Well, I said I'd like for my blog to be the topic of conversation elsewhere on the Net. I guess you really have to be careful what you wish for.

I saw that my blog is now on wepicktheclick.com. Okay -- cool -- more hits! But, they have my blog tagged under "strange".

What's so strange about black women breastfeeding? My blog is tagged alongside conjoined twins, Boy George and the sweet little girl who had eight limbs.

Labels: commentary

posted by Jennifer James @ 7:40 PM, , links to this post

Under the Microscope

Yesterday afternoon and into the evening I watched my blog stats with great interest as they were going through the roof quite rapidly. I had a total of 1382 people who visited the Black Breastfeeding Blog, not particularly because of something unique or brilliant that I wrote, but because someone linked to me on MetaFilter, a community web log. That's 1000 more people than I get each day!

As is always the case, some people who read the post and clicked on my blog disagreed with my point of view calling me an extremist, off-putting, sanctimonious, an asshole. Well, that's nothing new. In fact, I welcome the criticism because at least my opinions are out there for people to agree or disagree with and that's one of the reasons I started this blog in the first place.

And as is customary for blogs, sites, organizations, books, etc that are geared toward blacks, the age-old question was raised: Why is this blog specifically for blacks? People who ask that question will never "get it" and therefore I won't answer them. Someone even emailed me because he wanted to know why I author a blog targeted to black women. In his note he sounded like a nice guy and I almost wrote back, but then thought the better of it. It would have only been a waste of my valuable time and energy.

There were, however, some who truly understand why I write this blog and thoroughly comprehend why people advocate for breastfeeding rights. They are the ones who get the full picture as opposed to getting emotional about their own life's circumstances or preconceived notions about mothers and infants.

All in all, I'm glad there was a discussion about my blog and I hope many more continue to pop up outside of the breastfeeding community. Just by reading the comments, though, I understand that we still have a long way to go as a society as far as breastfeeding is concerned. As long as I'm living, have the capacity to blog, and the time and energy to dig for historic information I will always fight for a woman's right to breastfeed and I won't tiptoe around the issue. I'll continue to bring it straight and uncut.

Click here to read the MetaFilter comments.

Labels: commentary

posted by Jennifer James @ 8:01 AM, , links to this post

Playing Devil's Advocate
Saturday, November 10, 2007

I read an article today about an Ohio illegal alien mother who was taken away from her breastfeeding nine-month -old after she and her husband were arrested for being in the States illegally. There has been a lot of outrage over this case because of the inhumane treatment this woman and her baby had to undergo by being separated from one another.

Labels: commentary, just because

posted by Jennifer James @ 3:58 PM, , links to this post

Yeah, I Said It: Breastfeeding IS Best!
Thursday, November 8, 2007

There is an entire throng of mothers around the world who absolutely despise the "Breastfeeding is Best" campaign. Why? Because their feelings are easily hurt and they wind up feeling like a second-rate mother because of it. So, because a mother either cannot (for whatever reason) or chooses not to breastfeed, the rest of us are supposed to rally behind this alternative campaign: Breastfeeding is So-So. Why do they want us to do this? In order to spare their feeble, little feelings.

Labels: commentary

posted by Jennifer James @ 12:53 PM, , links to this post

Advertising and Social Responsibility
Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Labels: breastfeeding history, commentary

posted by Jennifer James @ 9:50 AM, , links to this post

As it Turns Out, I'm Not Done Yet
Monday, September 17, 2007

It is a rare occasion when I go three whole days without posting. My apologies to those of you who checked to find updated posts only to find a rapidly aging entry.

Since late last week I have been plugging away on my essay about the MomsRising logo for Literary Mama. I project it will be complete by the end of the week. I don't know when it will go up, but I have to brace myself for the backlash that's sure to come. I'm a big girl, though. I can take it.

Although last week I said I would put the MomsRising logo issue to rest here, there were some comments that I think are important and would like to mention.

Fat Lady pointed me to spectacular information on the National Park Service web site about Rosie the Riveter. They mentioned that women have always worked in America, like the poor white woman pictured picking strawberries and the black woman who is waiting to go out into the cotton fields. But when the United States experienced labor shortages during World War II, the government wanted to lure middle-class, white women into the war industry, thus using Rosie the Riveter to do so.

This little tidbit of information succinctly verifies my concerns. What group of mothers does MomsRising want to talk to? White middle-class mothers only like the government did in the 1940s? I have said it before: Their logo divides, doesn't unify.

Many readers have mentioned that MomsRising was probably not aware of the reverberations their logo would cause. I agree. I don't think it was intentional. But at some point, does racism become so blurred even white people can't recognize it? That's not to say their logo is blatantly racist. I am saying, though, that their logo is one- dimensional and reeks of exlusive target marketing.

Although I do not know the backgrounds of the MomsRising's founders, I believe they are probably seasoned feminists. That said, the issue of a racial split in the feminist movement should not be new to them. So, why did they even go there when creating a organization for the nation's mothers?

An anonymous commenter asked this question:

What should a modern day Rosie, a Rosie that could/will be used as propaganda to entice ALL women to support and organize for children's and mother's rights look like?

I mentioned that I don't think Rosie can be modernized. I think she should be left in the 40s where she belongs.

What do you think?

Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA-OWI Collection, Reproduction Numbers: LC-USW33-028626-C DLC, LC-USW3-034661-C DLC, LC-USF3301-006028-M1 DLC, LC-USE6-D-009550 DLC

Labels: breastfeeding history, commentary

posted by Jennifer James @ 9:17 AM, , links to this post

Putting MomsRising's Logo to Rest --- At Least for Now
Thursday, September 13, 2007

This is my last post about the MomsRising logo for awhile in hopes of not sounding nauseatingly redundant. I was invited to write about this issue for Literary Mama and will let you know when my essay is published and will keep you up-to-date on the favorable feedback as well as the fiery criticism. Tomorrow I will resume my posts about infant feeding unless someone brings up a point that simply begs to be addressed.

Over the past week I have highlighted some of the historical reasons why I do not like the MomsRising logo. These reasons are quite apparent now, so there is no need to rehash them. Today, though, I want to share some of the more interesting photographs that jumped out at me this week as I was going through pictures of women war workers.

The federal government built dormitories for women workers and, of course, they were segregated -- it was the 1940s after all. Here is a dorm for the white women workers. And look! Those are called "date booths". The government couldn't have their workers getting pregnant, now could they?

Below is a government hotel for black women war workers. Administrative staff members of the $760,000 Lucy D. Slowe Residence Hall, first government constructed hotel for black women war workers, in Washington, D.C. are shown in one of the nooks of the spacious lounge of the hotel.

And, here is the launching of the SS Booker T. Washington that black women and men war workers helped build. Mrs. Mary McLeod Bethune, Director of Negro Affairs, National Youth Administration (NYA); an identified member of the local committee; Marian Anderson, celebrated contralto; Dr. William J. Thompkins, Recorder of Deeds, Washington, D.C.; Reverend F.D. Jordon, Los Angeles;.1942 Sept. 29.

Labels: breastfeeding history, commentary

posted by Jennifer James @ 12:43 PM, , links to this post

More Notes From the Race Trenches
Wednesday, September 12, 2007

I received this comment today regarding my MomsRising logo post:

Jennifer,

You responded to a comment by saying, "Thanks for sharing your perspective. I disagree. In choosing their logo MomsRising alienates an entire group of mothers -- subliminally."

Because Kentucky Fried Chicken's logo, Colonel Sanders, is white, has the franchise alienated the black population? Have you never eaten at Kentucky Fried Chicken merely based on the fact that their logo is a white man?

And the same question could be asked of Wendy's fast food restaurant... or any other business/product that has a non-black logo or icon: McDonalds, Pringles, or Gerber, just to name a few.

There are so many flaws in this argument that I almost didn't respond. But what the heck.

Number One: KFC, Wendy's and Gerber, etc are all corporations that court me as a consumer. They are not national advocacy organizations that speak on behalf of a collective American demographic.

Number Two: None of the aforementioned logos were used by the government for propaganda purposes.

Number Three: Rosie the Riveter originated in a generation in which racial oppression was sanctioned and legal. So, how is this different from companies like Coca-Cola or Sherwin Williams, for example, who were also entities during this time?

Rosie is forever fixed in the 1940s. These companies are not. Rosie is immutable. For blacks, the 1940s are synonymous with pervasive, crippling racism.

Corporations, on the other hand, transform and are able to adapt to a changing society. So, while some businesses like KFC and Wendy's utilize white characters in their logos, these logos are not synonymous with an era of racial oppression by virtue of the fact they are modern entities.

Number Four: Remember, Rosie the Riveter is an icon first. MomsRising turned the icon into a logo. It doesn't work. She will always stand for white women's empowerment no matter how anyone spins it.

Racism is so pervasive that many examples can be thrown into this conversation to downplay my argument against the MomsRising logo. It's like telling an environmental advocate to not buy books because the glue publishers use for the binding hurts the environment. Does the environmental advocate stop buying books altogether? We have to pick and choose our battles. We can't fight them all. MomsRising's logo needed to be called out, so I did.

Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, FSA-OWI Collection, Reproduction Numbers: LC-USF34-032894-D DLC, LC-USF33-012345-M1 DLC

Labels: commentary, just because

posted by Jennifer James @ 10:49 AM, , links to this post

Commentary: Notes on Why I am Not a Self-Segregationist
Tuesday, September 11, 2007

I wanted to address this comment because I think it's important.

As a white mother I read your blog almost daily and support the causes and greatly appreciate the information you present. However as this is titled the Black Breastfeeding Blog and depicts pictures of black mothers........should I stop reading because I am not represented? Should I stop supporting breastfeeding through this educational forum because I am not the target audience?
All these remarks simply make me no longer feel welcome here and maybe that is your goal in the end? Not to unite mothers but simply to only support mothers of color?

I do not purport to speak on behalf of an entire nation of breastfeeding mothers on my blog. In fact, when people come here, they automatically know where I am coming from. Additionally, I am not a national advocacy organization that claims to act on behalf of all mothers and families. I simply author a blog about breastfeeding from a black mother's perspective. Most importantly, it is important to underscore the reason why I started the Black Breastfeeding Blog in the first place. I started this blog because on all of the huge breastfeeding and parenting sites that talk about breastfeeding, they never or very, very, very, very rarely show black women breastfeeding or publish their perspectives. So, even if a white mother decided never to come back and read my blog again, there are a plethora of alternative sites and blogs that speak to her specifically.

That said, by creating this blog I am not here to separate the races because I created a blog that speaks to black mothers who breastfeed or who want to breastfeed. Quite the contrary, in fact. I argue it is the mainstream parenting media and national mothers' organizations that alienate me as a black mom by not speaking directly to me as a reader and consumer and by not including me in the national conversation about issues that affect all families. Given the circumstances, I could have either whimpered and whined in a corner or used my talents to create my own online space to uplift and empower black moms. I actively chose the latter. These actions do not make me a self-segregationist. They make me an empowered individual.

And besides, if you read my blog nearly every day, you know that I post tons of pictures of white mothers here and link to great blogs authored by white mothers who I love reading and who I deeply respect.

Labels: commentary, just because

posted by Jennifer James @ 6:13 PM, , links to this post

Commentary
Monday, September 10, 2007

This weekend I had a very interesting email discussion with a reader. We were hashing out our opposing perspectives about the MomsRising logo and one of the questions the reader asked was: Do I really mean it when I say I cannot support MomsRising given the work they do for moms across the country. My response was: I mean it!

Labels: commentary

posted by Jennifer James @ 11:32 PM, , links to this post

Challenging Mother Guilt
Wednesday, August 8, 2007

"Guilt is always jealous”
-John Ray

Over the last week while many of us celebrated World Breastfeeding Week, a great many mothers lamented the struggles they've encountered surrounding their decision to bottle-feed. For reasons personal to them, some mothers decide to forgo breastfeeding and instead opt to feed their children infant formula. But as these mothers make this choice, some automatically feel instant guilt about it and boy do they whine and hiss about it. For me, the whole "mother guilt-trip" these women like to turn back on us is a crafty way of further denigrating the merits of breastfeeding simply because they can't or simply won't breastfeed their babies. As a former breastfeeding mom and current nursing advocate, I say this: It is not our job to absorb these mothers' guilt. Instead, bottle-feeding guilt is their own burden to absolve.

No one can feel guilty about anything unless they believe a wrong has been committed. But according to these guilt-ridden mothers, there is nothing wrong with bottle-feeding. In fact, according to one mother who wrote for Newsweek, formula is fine and according to another writer at AOL, breastfeeding isn't always best. Therefore, by default, in the absence of wrongdoing, guilt should not be a part of the conversation and yet it remains a central issue widening the chasm between breastfeeding and bottle-feeding mothers as well as these moms' primary talking point.

It is my opinion that the feeling these mothers experience is not guilt in the least, but rather undiluted anger at their inability to breastfeed or their sheer disinterest in breastfeeding. And, instead of channeling their anger in positive directions, they project it onto people who encourage breastfeeding by trying to lay a guilt-trip on us for responsibly saying that breastfeeding is best. But, I'm here to say: This convoluted ploy will not work with me. If a mother wants to bottle-feed, then she should do so in peace instead of unleashing her misdirected ire on us.

Labels: commentary, just because

posted by Jennifer James @ 7:18 AM, , links to this post

Breastfeeding news: then and now
Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Breastfeeding news...then. Exactly 100 years ago, here is what poor nursing mothers had to face. [Click image if you'd like to take a closer look.]


Copy photograph of a sweatshop poster showing a woman breastfeeding a baby while sewing a garment on a sewing machine. The text reads Sacred Motherhood, and the initial letter is in the shape of a dollar sign. The poster was made by Luther Bradley and probably photographed in Chicago, Illinois. 1907.

What do you think about this poster? It's mind boggling that approximately 100 years after this was shown in the Chicago Daily News, you could still publish it today. All you'd have to do is take the mother out of the sweat shop and seat her on a park bench with all eyes on her and her baby -- some adoring, some glaring. "Sacred Motherhood" still fits, but without the dollar sign.

Breastfeeding news...now.

Congratulations to Barstow Community Hospital for becoming the 58th Baby-Friendly hospital in the United States. Want to know more about baby-friendly hospitals? Click here.

News out of Canada reports that women breastfeed longer when they have longer maternity leave. This makes sense especially since we know working is not conducive to breastfeeding moms.

Plus, a Swedish study says if a mom breastfeeds for more than 13 months, she has a reduced risk of getting rheumatoid arthritis.

By the way, I've reached a milestone of sorts. Today is my 100th post. Yeah!

Labels: breastfeeding history, commentary

posted by Jennifer James @ 11:42 AM,