Black Motherhood: Celebrating Our History, Redefining Our Experience

February is all about reflecting on black history. As a mother, our black history is a tale of troubling beginnings followed by triumphant gains. Of course, I'll never forget the moment Michelle Obama became First Lady of the United States. She epitomizes everything modern black motherhood is about, career success, loving partnership, and commitment to being the mom-in-chief of your own family command center.

But getting to Michelle Obama has been a long and sometimes troubling journey. The black motherhood experience in this country had a painful start with lingering effects that still hover overhead today. First, let's go back. As enslaved black mothers we were viewed as breeders not humans and we had no control over our experience in motherhood or our children. As slaves, our children were ripped from our bosoms and sold as we stood helpless in despair.

"Labor of Love, Labor of Sorrow: Black Women, Work and the Family from Slavery to Present" by Jacqueline Jones http://www.amazon.com/Labor-Love-Sorrow-Slavery-Present/dp/0465037569 details how pregnant slaves were forced to lie face down in a specially dug impression in the ground when they were whipped. Perhaps in the demented mind of the slave owner, he was simultaneously protecting his economic investment in the fetus while still punishing the mother.

Our experience as black mothers was always laced with pain.

But we always wanted more for our children. And even as freed-men and -women, it was also clear that we saw the role of mother as tantamount to preserving our families, our communities and to the progression of the black race. Contrary to popular belief, we have a history of being thoughtful and resourceful about our duty and power as mothers.

Witness this excerpt from a speech by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, a 19th century African American abolitionist, teacher, women's rights advocate, writer and poet. She spoke these words on November 15, 1892 in a speech called Enlightened Motherhood, an address to the Brooklyn Literary Society.

"The work of the mothers of our race is grandly constructive. It is for us to build above the wreck and ruin of the past more stately temples of thought and action. Some races have been overthrown, dashed in pieces, and destroyed; but today the world is needing, fainting, for something better than the results of arrogance, aggressiveness, and indomitable power. We need mothers who are capable of being character builders, patient, loving, strong, and true, whose homes will be uplifting power in the race. This is one of the greatest needs of the hour."

In 1902, the book Twentieth Century Negro Literature, included an essay on the responsibilities of educated black women on the black race written by Sarah Dudley Petty, a writer, teacher and preacher's wife. What were her thoughts on black motherhood?

"A faithful, virtuous and intelligent motherhood will elevate any people . . . True patriotism, obedience and respect for law, both divine and civil, the love and yearning for the pure, the sublime and the good, all emanate from mother's personality . . . I would urge then, as the first prerequisite for our work, a pure, pious and devoted motherhood."

Years later, our quest to define motherhood moved to the television screen. When I was growing up in the late 1970s and 1980s we looked to successful working women like Claire Huxtable on the Cosby Show and Vivian Banks on the Fresh Prince of Bel Air for a glimpse into what black motherhood looked like. Every Thursday night on television, Claire Huxtable, Esq, showed a generation of future lawyers, doctors and accountants that upwardly mobile black women could indeed have it all. We could raise five kids without a nanny, take care of a house, maintain a high-powered career, be adored by our husband and still look glamorous and sexy. Whether having it all is truly possible for any woman (white, black or green) is still debatable, but this was new territory for black women. For decades, this was something that only seemed possible for white women.

This black history month, I'm asking all black mothers to remember our history as women who carried our families and communities. Mothers who didn't listen when the world said we were thoughtless breeders and our children were mere commodities to be bought or sold. In more recent history black mothers have been publicly shamed as crack mothers, welfare queens, and the face of "baby mama drama." Black single motherhood is blamed for all sorts of social ills from crime to drugs to "wilding" teens. And black mothers are often represented in popular culture as neck-rolling domineering household managers who run circles around our men. Even the critically acclaimed movie, "Precious" has raised eyebrows for perpetuating ideas of black women as abusive mothers.

But I'm asking you to stay true to what you know: These stereotypes are very far from the truth. In truth, black women today have redefined black history and created a new conversation about our roles as mothers. For example, when I watched the Brady Bunch and Happy Days and reruns of Leave It To Beaver, the subtle messaging was that being a stay at home mom and catering to your child's every need was a white woman's pleasure. Black women have always worked--as slaves, as cleaners, as teachers, as doctors, as lawyers. Even our TV mamas (Claire Huxtable included) always worked.

Today more and more black women are stay at home moms (myself included), we have robust national organizations like Mocha Moms http://mochamoms.org/ to support women who are making motherhood their career (even if just for a few years or so).

This shift in our motherhood experience may seem subtle, but in the framework of our history, it is groundbreaking. And thrilling. It not only speaks to how far we have come as a people, but how far we have come as black mothers, who went from having no control over our children to taking control of our children, our lives, and our families' financial future. We now have varied and different motherhood experiences yet we still know we are doing important work that goes well beyond our home.

As we celebrate our history as black Americans, take a moment to reflect and celebrate your history as a black mother. Take a moment to celebrate you!

A Plus-Sized Problem: Black Women and Obesity

She enters the stage in a revolving pyramid and haze of smoke. Dressed in shiny gold wide-legged pants and a matching gold jacket, she confidently walks to center stage.

In a boisterous voice she calls for all the "fat girls" to stand up and take a bow. It's the beginning of a popular and very funny stand-up routine of Mo'Nique, Golden Globe winner and comedy star, a routine where she spends a lot of time making fun of skinny girls--I won't use her exact words in this family friendly blog.

Suffice to say, Mo'Nique made a name for herself in the stand up circles as the poster child of "big girls" and quickly became one of America's best-loved plus sized personalities. She even penned the New York Times bestselling book, "Skinny Women Are Evil: Notes of a Big Girl in a Small-Minded World," published by Simon and Schuster.

I gotta admit, watching her comedy clips on YouTube--the act is very funny. But really obesity is no laughing matter.

Now I know we've never entertained the same body image perspectives as white women. Our families are full of Big Mamas, robust Aunties and other big women who doled out good food and good love, both in earnest portions. And let's face it: Black men tend to like us with ample thighs and a little "junk in the trunk," as they say. Or as my Granny would say, "Don't nobody want a bone, but a dog."

But things are getting beyond a little healthy meat on the bones. Overweight and obesity has increased for all Americans across the board. It's no wonder, President Obama recently announced a new obesity reduction initiative to be spearheaded by First Lady Michelle Obama.

The problem is particularly pronounced in our community. Nearly 70 percent of African Americans are overweight compared to 62 percent of white Americans. Among black women the statistics are reveal a greater difference. About 78 percent of black women age 20-74 are overweight, compared to 57 percent of white women in that same age group. Fifteen percent of black women are classified as severely obese, compared to 5 percent of white women.

The culprits in our community are typical: poor dietary choices, lack of healthy or organic food options in many urban areas, lack of physical activity or exercise and our greater acceptance of larger body types.

The ramifications can't be ignored. In pregnancy, being overweight or obese can lead to pregnancy complications and a difficult labor and delivery. The risk of a pregnant woman of being hospitalized goes up four times if she's overweight.

The March of Dimes Task Force on Nutrition and Optimal Human Development presented a report indicating that women who are overweight or obese are 30 to 40 percent more likely to have a baby who has major birth defects such as those that affect the brain, heart, and digestive system. Among the most common obesity-related birth defects are neural tube defects, heart defects, and abdominal wall defects. Folic acid supplements, usually effective in preventing these conditions, may not be as protective in overweight women, according to some studies.

Beyond our babies, obesity often leads to heart disease and many other problems in black women. This is not about a number on the scale; it's about being healthy. It's time for big girls and skinny girls and everyone in between to come together for all girls.

Michelle Obama's Plan: Mothers Need Apply

Soy milk invaded my childhood at age 6 and not because I particularly preferred it. Rather my mom bought it, packed it in the fridge, and drank it. And because I adored and mimicked my mom, I drank soy milk with enthusiasm.

This past Tuesday, thoughts of soy milk and my mother came to mind as I attended Michelle Obama's White House kick-off of "Let's Move," her multi-year, multi-agency, and era-changing plan to fight childhood obesity in America.

It was my first time inside the White House and as soon as Michelle Obama walked out confident and beautiful, I realized that she could tell America to eat turnips and flax seed every morning and night and a good portion of people would follow suit.

Michelle Obama has that stunning package of qualities that my mother has. Fearless, authoritative, and caring, the mother-of-two and Harvard-trained lawyer can command many children and adults to follow her quest just by suggesting them. And like my mother, Michelle appears to walk on water.

Now, I believe it is that power for women and mothers to be role models that I think will amplify the goals of Obama's movement aimed to reverse the fact that young people, due to obesity-related disorders, might have a shorter life-span than their parents. A focus on women and mothers could turn Obama's national fitness movement into a penetrating cultural, psychological mandate.

Right now, Michelle Obama's plan combines major thrusts: moves to provide front-of-package nutrition labeling on food products and the elimination of food deserts in neighborhoods with no grocery stories; a policy to increase healthy meals in public schools; marketing and tools to spur athleticism in children and wellness decisions in families; and billions towards these goals over the next 10 years. Her vision, fortified by private and public support, is both necessary and impressive.

In addition, child's health foundations will come together to fund the Partnership for a Healthier America, which is a non-partisan convener of sectors and agencies supporting solving childhood obesity in 30 years. And President Barack Obama signed a Presidential Memorandum to launch the first Task Force for Childhood Obesity to review and create countrywide plans to employ federal resources to improve child nutrition and exercise.

Imploring Americans to read about what they eat, talk health with their circles, and see health as a self-esteem issue, Michelle Obama's plan is simply epic, a practical movement that could change everything.

Yet one thing I noticed about Michelle Obama's informative and passionate literature about the plan is that the words families and parents are preferred over women and mothers. It appears state and social forces will usher in this very crucial movement, when in fact, women and children are the exact linchpin. Many people like me, even with two active parents, draw a direct line of my eating and lifestyle experiences to my mother. While my father influenced my eating habits, healthy food practices were often implemented by my mother. Fathers can regulate the diet of children, but can they manage the lifestyle of mothers?

Still now, I don't understand the mechanism of vegetables and I can't explain the chemistry of pure hair oils. But I know that when I cook greens in too much oil, they don't taste as good as my mother's, and when I use olive oil on my hair instead of synthetic creams, my hair becomes shiny, beautiful, and strong as my mother's.

This relationship works in reverse. Four out of five African American women are obese, making us the most obese group of Americans. And the CDC finds that maternal pre-pregnancy obesity is associated with childhood obesity. Some of this explains why African American children between ages 6 and 17 are 1.3 times as likely to be overweight as their white peers and are at greater risk of diabetes, asthma and heart disease. A lot of the problem is, mother see, child do. Michelle Obama's campaign has the chance to embrace and nurture mothers in a huge, phenomenal way.

For years my mom was soy-minded, making as many trips to mainstream grocery stores as small health food shops. Her bookshelves were lined with alternative healthy living literature. When she was going to make a big change in her life, she meditated on it. And when she went vegetarian, she invited her children to join along.

Throughout the years, I adopted these habits, and not because I was a health guru like my mother, but because I absorbed them as a result of admiring my mother, my role model since the womb. Now I have a health propensity without thinking about it. And, some things are just wired. No matter where I am in the world, if I have even a cold, I call my mom first. How maternal health emerges in this vast obesity fight will be amazing to watch, and necessary to see.

-- Kimberly Seals Allers is on vacation this week. --

Intensely aware of what health care advocates gently refer to as "health disparities," members of state coalitions meeting over the weekend confessed that they were struggling to find a best strategy to promote breastfeeding among African-American mothers.

Studies to date indicate that African American mothers are least likely to breastfeed--even though they are more at risk for breast cancer, obesity and high blood pressure. In addition, they are more likely to give birth early and breast milk can literally save the lives of preemies in a way formula does not.

As more than 300 breastfeeding activists--physicians, nurses, lactation consultants, and health activists-- gathered in Arlington, Va. to expand the support for breastfeeding in hospitals, families, law and workplaces, the toughest question was how can we be more successful with African American mothers and mothers-to-be?

http://www.usbreastfeeding.org/

Part of my work at the conference was to discuss at a breakfast table how Women's eNews is changing the media narrative about African maternal and infant health. I talked about Women's eNews'Black Maternal Health project and the value of shifting breastfeeding news focused on babies to the lives of the mothers, particularly black mothers.

http://www.womensenews.org/story/090922/black-maternal-health-legacy-and-future

Black moms are three-to six times more likely to die during pregnancy and during the post-partum weeks and thus they are the face of our country's most acute maternal health problems. If the United States can mend poor health outcomes among black women and their infants, certainly the entire health care system will benefit.

But confronting the reality of black maternal health and breastfeeding at the conference is not so easy.

"Nooo," said Lorine Bizzell, a regional nutritionist with the United States Department of Agriculture, in Atlanta. That was her response when I asked for her input on the fact that that college-educated black women breastfeed less than low-income moms, teen moms, and moms with only 12 years of schooling.

http://www.womensenews.org/story/black-maternal-health/090922/breastfeeding-not-you-sisters-listen

"That's hard to believe. Young black career women that I know are all nursing their children under a variety of challenging circumstances."

Laura Sinai is a North Carolina-based pediatrician. She works in a private practice outside Charlotte and a third of her clients are black. Talking to black mothers about breastfeeding has been difficult. "They just say, 'You don't know my life. I will not breastfeed.'"

Melissa Bartick, a physician with the Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition, spearheads efforts for hospitals in the state to become Baby Friendly, an award given for prioritizing breastfeeding in maternity wards and backed by the World Health Organization.

After I asked Bartick how she's targeting black mothers, she took a deep breath and said: "Yes, there are disparities. They do exist."

"Where do I find black women who want to be lactation consultants?" said Anna Uttar, the regional director of the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners in Falls Church, Virginia. "They are not coming out to get trained."

As the conference was coming to an end, I was starting to worry that the question of how to increase breastfeeding among black mothers was left hanging, like a great news story unpublished.

Right as I gathered my bags and headed out the conference hall, Napiera Loveless approached me.

She is co-founder of MamaTotoMatema, a Cincinnati agency urging breastfeeding among African-American families. We got to talking and laughing and sharing how we wished the conference had a dance party.

http://www.mamatotomatema.com/

Loveless told me about how she reports to black women and activates their interest. Immediately I realized she should have been a keynote speaker; she was a guru of connecting ideas to messages, to challenges.

When talking to low-income black women, Loveless appeals to fashion. Many young black women like the bling, she said. The shiny things. The nice clothes. "I tell some mothers, 'You know how you like your Dereon jeans and Gucci? Well breast milk is the name-brand jeans. Formula is the rip-off!'"

When talking to upper-income black women, Loveless said that family support systems may be lacking. Many families look to a high-earning black woman for financial and emotional support, so a lot is riding on her shoulders.

"I want to find out who their support system is," she said. "It might be her best friend or her co-worker. Can your co-worker help you on the job? Watch your work while you get a chance to pump?"

She said her strategy is gaining effect in Ohio.

As I left the Third National Conference of State/Territory/Tribal Breastfeeding Coalitions, my heart was warmed by Loveless, and the many leaders talking about black maternal health. My mind was racing.

There is always a way to get through.

Malena Amusa is a reporter living in New York City.

We Need Our Village Back

For some time now, I've been lamenting the demise of our "village."

When our parents grew up the whole neighborhood helped raise them (and probably had spanking privileges). And when I grew up you could best believe that any neighbor would quickly tell my mother or father if I was ever seen someplace I wasn't supposed to be. There was an "we're all in this together" mentality and a thinking that my child is my responsibility and your child is my responsibility because at the end of the day, we are all in this community together and one success is our collective success and one failure is our collective failure and affects us all.

Somewhere along the way, we lost this village mentality. The changing economic climate has dictated that we move away from relatives or that we move often because of job opportunities. As a result, we never really grow roots in our communities anymore. We don't have our extended family of aunties, uncles and grandparents nearby anymore.

This week Women's eNews hosted a screening of Tonya Lewis Lee's powerful documentary on reducing infant mortality and improving maternal health, in celebration of the second year of The Black Maternal Health Project. It was a full house. The film, Crisis in the Crib--Saving Our Nation's Babies (view the trailer here) speaks directly to preconception health, mobilizing young people as peer educators in the movement and putting a face and voice to the infant mortality issue. The conversation afterward with Tonya and our fabulous guests was even more empowering.

We couldn't understand while infant mortality remains a taboo topic in our country's agenda. Even when you remove African American statistics from the equation, the United States still had an embarrassing ranking as far as infant mortality is concerned. We couldn't understand why maternal health is absent from the current debate about healthcare reform. And we certainly couldn't understand why very little is being done to save our most vulnerable population. There was so much that didn't make sense.

But here's what was crystal clear. We can't wait for the government to solve this crisis. Yes, we have to push for laws. But we also have to advocate in our communities to remove some of the social barriers to our health issues. We need to advocate for safe places to exercise, removing toxins from our communities, having fresh fruit and vegetables available in our communities and more.

It was clear that we need our village of womenfolk. And then some.

In Crisis in the Crib, the 'Healthy Baby Begins With You' Campaign,  takes on a peer education model. It uses college students to go into their own communities and also speak to high school students about preconception health. It goes back to that "village" mentality.

That night of the screening we deployed our own village, a room full of women of all races with personal and professional interests in embracing mothers and producing healthy babies. We thought of ways we could let our own network know about the OMH campaign, spread more awareness about the problem, or help be a part of the solution.

We saw the powerful ripple effect that could be sparked just from those in the room doing one thing. For that evening, we brought our village back. And it felt oh so good.

What can you do to help bring our village back to our babies? What more can we be doing? I'd love to hear from you. Please post a comment here.

Bruce Jenner, Breastfeeding and Keeping it Real with the Kardashians

Earlier this week, after a long day of deadlines and meetings, I was desperately in need of a mindless television moment and channel surfed my way to the "Keeping up with the Kardashians" reality TV show.

 

Have you seen this quality production?

 

Three sisters on an unclear mission. One became famous for having a big booty (an apparent first for a non-black or Latina person), another recently married an NBA superstar after two months of dating, and alas, the third, Courtney, is very pregnant. At least in this episode she was. (I know from a recent trip to the supermarket checkout line that she has already had her baby and sold all the pictures.) But I digress.

 

In this particular episode, the often reviled baby daddy, Scott, did the unthinkable. He didn't show up for a breastfeeding class. O.M.G! Courtney returns home in a huff. Scott says, he didn't think he needed to go to a breastfeeding class because it has nothing to do with him. Courtney lets him know with a few well-timed F-bombs that it absolutely does have something to do with him and if he doesn't "get on her team" immediately then the relationship is over. Drama!!

 

Scott, feeling like he just received an unwarranted tongue lashing from a hormone charged pregnant woman, heads over to talk to Courtney's step father, Olympic great Bruce Jenner. Scott tells Bruce his story. "Breastfeeding is not about me," he says, looking for manly sympathy. Bruce, in his infinite wisdom and having scaled a few hurdles in his own life, sets him straight. "It is about you. It's about support."

 

Ahhhh, a teachable moment in reality TV. I feel like notifying some authorities.

 

But yes, men, breastfeeding is about you. And you don't have to have graced a Corn Flakes box to know it. In fact, many moms say their partners' attitude and support played a major role in whether or not they continued breastfeeding. This is particularly true in the black community.

 

Consider these striking findings from a recent survey by the Bravado Breastfeeding Information Council, or BBIC. (Full disclosure: I'm an advisory board member).

 

When asked to choose the person who had the most important influence in her life as a nursing mom, almost three times as many women selected their partner (54%) over their mothers (21%), even if their mother had breastfeeding experience.

 

Approximately 70% of mothers consider their partners support to be extremely important to their overall confidence as a new mom, and their overall well-being as a nursing mother.

 

With our historically low breastfeeding rates and our woefully high infant mortality rates, it is really important to get our men on board. They are an important part of our "village."

 

If you or your partner don't know what he can do, I found these great tips for Dads.  Share them with your man.

 

1. The first thing a father can do to promote success is to create a positive family atmosphere toward breastfeeding. As a practical matter, breastfed babies need to accompany their mothers whenever possible. A father who views a baby's continual presence as intrusive will subtly undermine breastfeeding. The father who naturally assumes that his baby will accompany the couple to restaurants, movies, dinner parties, and meetings has given breastfeeding his strong endorsement. There's a big difference between a man who agrees to let his partner breastfeed and one who deliberately creates an atmosphere of success.

 

2. Fathers can play a key role in bolstering their breastfeeding partner's confidence by showering them with compliments, praising their efforts, and offering words of encouragement. When a woman is under extreme stress, a man may not know how best to support his mate. He may be uncertain whether she wants to hear, "Don't give up; you can do it!" or "You've done your best. It's okay to switch to bottle-feeding." If you are not sure how to respond to your partner, try explaining that you don't know exactly what to say, but you want to support her in any way you can. Just being a sounding board might be all she needs on a specific day.

 

3. A father can help in so many ways that it's hard to imagine why many men feel left out when their wives breastfeed. A father can go to the baby when he or she awakens and bring the hungry infant to his wife. While the mother is nursing, he can pour her a nutritious beverage, massage her shoulders, compliment her, and lovingly admire his nursing baby. After the first breast, he can burp the baby and help arouse the infant for the second side. When the feeding is complete, the father can change the infant and put him or her down to sleep.

 

In the BBIC survey, moms said, partners could best help by changing diapers, listening to them, praising them, supporting them with family and friends, and burping the baby as key examples of support. 45% of moms would like more help with chores and 36% would like their partners to get up with them at night.

 

So you see Scott, and thousands of other Scott-like men, we do need you. There is much for you to do. It is about the support. Thank you Bruce Jenner.

 

Watch this video to see the webcast of the full release of the BBIC's findings on women and breastfeeding.

 

Folic Acid and You—What Every Woman of Color Needs to Know

It’s the New Year! And who knows what 2010 will bring. According to recent stats approximately 50 percent of women aged 15-44 have at least one unplanned pregnancy in their lives. That means a good number of us may have an surprise in 2010.

 

That also means every woman of childbearing age, should be thinking about their health all day, every day. That’s why I wanted to tell you that this week, January 4-10^th, is Folic Acid Awareness Week. Sponsored by the National Council on Folic Acid (NCFA) http://www.folicacidinfo.org/pages/folicacid_info.php, the week is intended to educate all women about folic acid. If taken before and during early pregnancy from a multi-vitamin or fortified foods, folic acid can prevent from 50 percent to 70 percent of some forms of serious birth defects of the brain and spine, called neural tube defects (NTD).

 

Getting the right amount of folic acid is particularly important to Black and Latina women. Not only do Latinas have higher rates of NTD-affected pregnancies, they also have the lowest awareness about folic acid than women of other ethnic groups, and lower consumption of folic acid than white non-Hispanic women, according to recent studies.

 

In addition to preventing NTDs, increased folic acid has been linked to preventing preeclampsia, a form of severe high blood pressure that usually occurs after 37 weeks of pregnancy. The potentially fatal condition is more common in black women. Studies indicate that when black women have preeclampsia they tend to have a severe form of the disorder and experience it as early as six months in the pregnancy compared to the typical ninth month. 

 

Doctors have not yet pinpointed exactly why this disparity exists, however, one study found that black women had less folic acid and more of a certain amino acid than white women as a pre-existing condition, which put them at a higher risk during pregnancy. The findings suggest that black women take more folic acid before and during pregnancy and as early as possible. (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4781703 )

 

The easiest way to make sure you’re getting enough folic acid all the time is by taking a multi-vitamin, B vitamin complex pill or folic acid pill and eating fortified foods like grains, pastas or breakfast cereals. Folate is found naturally in foods such as leafy green vegetables, beans, liver and some fruit. But for some reason, scientists have found that folic acid, the synthetic version of folate, is actually easier for your body to absorb than folate.

 

Even if you don’t have a planned or unplanned pregnancy in the cards, folic acid is pretty important to your healthy living. Studies show that folic acid reduces the risk of certain cancers; cardiovascular diseases including coronary heart disease and stroke; and cognitive diseases or mental conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, age-related dementia or cognitive decline and depression. We can all use that.