Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics from 2020 to 2021, Black mothers’ breastfeeding initiation rate was 74 percent compared to White mothers’ rate of 85 percent;

Whereas breastfeeding directly impacts the health and wellness of infants and the mothers who care for them;

Whereas Black mothers have reported greater barriers to breastfeeding compared to their counterparts, including pain or discomfort while breastfeeding, concerns about breastfeeding in public, insufficient availability of promotional and educational efforts, and the interference of breastfeeding with paid employment and other activities;

Whereas some Black mothers have also reported lack of a social support system for continued breastfeeding;

Whereas, in North Carolina, only 70 percent of Black mothers attempted to breastfeed in 2019 versus 84 percent of White mothers and State average of 81 percent of all birthing parents in the State who breastfed during the same period;

Whereas Black babies suffer over a 3 times higher infant mortality rates than White babies in North Carolina;

Whereas low breastfeeding initiation rates directly correlate to high infant mortality rates;

Whereas babies who are breastfed for at least 3 months have a 38-percent reduced risk of infant mortality annually across the United States;

Whereas Black children are at a greater risk for childhood disease, and the inability to exclusively breastfeed for the recommended 6 months has been attributed to twice as many deaths and 3 times as many childhood diseases in Black infants as compared to White infants;

Whereas 1 in 4 mothers in the United States return to work within 2 weeks of giving birth;

Whereas 60 percent of working mothers in the United States who are breastfeeding express breast milk in inadequate and unsanitary places on the job;

Whereas understanding historical and contemporary racial inequities is important to address systemic injustices preventing families from achieving their breastfeeding potential;

Whereas if mothers could meet current medical recommendations for breastfeeding, it would save the United States economy nearly $13,000,000,000 per year in pediatric health costs and premature deaths;

Whereas Black Breastfeeding Week is an opportunity to raise awareness about the maternal child health crisis in Black communities and the important role that breastfeeding plays in improving maternal and infant health outcomes;

Whereas this week is dedicated to increasing awareness of the critical role of breastfeeding and the work of Black community-led groups in improving family health and reducing infant mortality rates in Black communities;

Whereas a week highlighting a unique and targeted approach to address the challenges facing Black mothers and families is critical to eliminating racial disparities in breastfeeding and breast cancer survival; and

Whereas Black Breastfeeding Week was created by Kimberly Seals Allers, Kiddada Green, and Anayah Sangodele-Ayoka to bring national attention to the United States maternal child health crisis in the Black community and the important role that breastfeeding plays in improving maternal and infant health outcomes: Now, therefore, be it