IV 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1416 

Expressing support for the designation of the week of August 25, 2024, 

through August 31, 2024, as ‘‘Black Breastfeeding Week’’. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

AUGUST 27, 2024 

Ms. ADAMS (for herself and Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN) submitted the following 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for the designation of the week of August 

25, 2024, through August 31, 2024, as ‘‘Black 

Breastfeeding Week’’. 

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; 


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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 the State average of 81 percent of all 

birthing parents in the State who breastfed during the 

same period; 

Whereas Black babies suffer over a 2 times higher infant 

mortality rate 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 returns 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 COVID–19 has tragically exposed the unfortunate 

impact of racial inequities in health for Black communities; 

Whereas these inequities have led to Black communities being 

disproportionately impacted by the virus, including forced 

separations of mothers and infants after birth when 


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breast milk is the safest and most reliable form of infant 

feeding during an emergency or pandemic; 

Whereas understanding such 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 


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1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives recog2 nizes— 

3 (1) that systemic and institutional racism cre4 ates greater barriers for Black women committed to 

5 meeting breastfeeding guidelines set out by Federal 

6 public health officials; 

7 (2) that these barriers contribute to increasing 

8 health disparities leaving Black mothers and infants 

9 particularly vulnerable; 

10 (3) that disproportionate rates of maternal 

11 mortality and morbidity in the United States and 

12 the alarmingly high rates of maternal mortality 

13 among Black women are unacceptable; 

14 (4) that Congress must fully support and en15 courage policies that ensure Black parents have ac16 cess to affordable health care, allow parents to take 

17 paid leave after the birth of a child, and ensure that 

18 breastfeeding mothers have appropriate places to ex19 press breast milk; and 

20 (5) that, in order to better mitigate the effects 

21 of systemic and structural racism, Congress must 

22 work toward ensuring that Black communities 

23 have— 

24 (A) adequate housing; 

25 (B) transportation equity; 


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1 (C) nutritious food; 

2 (D) clean water; 

3 (E) environments free from toxins; 

4 (F) fair treatment within the criminal jus5 tice system; 

6 (G) safety and freedom from violence; 

7 (H) a living wage; 

8 (I) equal economic opportunity; and 

9 (J) comprehensive, quality, and affordable 

10 health care. 

Æ 


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