Breastfeeding USA stands with Black Lives Matter to mourn the murder of George Floyd and to denounce police brutality everywhere. Coming so soon after the unjust killings of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, this latest example of lethal institutional racism must be condemned by all.
Our calling is to empower mothers to breastfeed. Every baby nursed or fed human milk represents their mother’s immense labor, nurture, and hopes for the future.
We know that every life ever taken by state violence was some mother’s baby.
The whole world has now seen George Floyd die in handcuffs, pressed to the pavement by a police officer’s knee on his neck and by the hands of two others on his back. We hear him, as he suffocates, call out for his momma.
Black mothers, especially those with sons, have always had to live in fear that their child will be harmed or killed by police for no reason other than the color of their skin. This nightmare has come true for far too many parents who are Black, indigenous, or other people of color.
Breastfeeding USA sees the anguish and fury of these women and of their families and communities. Our hearts break for them, and our souls cry out with them for justice.
We also know that, as a predominantly white and middle-class organization, we are part of the systemic problems that lead to these abuses of power. We have our own internal anti-racist work to do to fulfill our vision of a country in which every breastfeeding family gets the information and support they need from their personal community, healthcare providers, and society.
We are committed to breaking down racial barriers in the broader community of lactation support providers as well as to continuous efforts towards racial equity and justice in our own organization.
– Breastfeeding USA Board of Directors
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