Being a Black Breastfeeding Researcher in a White Research World: Speaking With One Voice

The lactation field is laden with cultural narratives that depict the Black community, particularly Black women, in a negative light. For example, “Black women don’t breastfeed,” “Black women don’t have family support to breastfeed,” and “Black women are welfare queens and lazy.” These negative and demeaning views of Black women are not only directed toward the lay community, but they are also pervasive in academic institutions. Recently, there has been a lot of discussion in the breastfeeding research world about best practices for achieving diversity, equity, and inclusion.