Yes, Magda, and Merrilee, I agree -- to work on why women do or don't bf,
work on how they feel about their bodies.

A while back I interviewed a distinguished African American feminist writer,
who has written a lot on "the african american family," and asked her what
one could do that would most effect bf rates among educated Black women in
the USA.   This was a woman who was quick to agree that "bf is best" and who
had "tried" to bf her son (20 yrs ago) but "didn't have enough milk"  -- but
who acknowledged that it was viscerally very hard for her to smile
approvingly at women (black or white) bf in public.  Her answer was, "Run
body image workshops for teenage black girls -- with or without mentioning
bf."  As long as black women's bodies are problematic to them, black bf rates
will be low.

She remembered in the 60s when her white peers were examining their cervices
through mirrors -- and she and her black friends laughed their heads off --
"that was not for us, I promise you!"

 But it does seem that women who don't like thinking about their own bodies
are unlikely to want the extremely embodied experience of bf.  African
American women (who obviously have a whole handful of cultural issues around
bf which I don't mean to minimize) are maybe the easiest-to-see demographic
example of a phenomenon that is by no means limited to them.


That reminds me:  I'm looking for Lactnet members who are women or men of
color who might not mind speaking with me on this and related topics.  If
this describes you, I would be grateful to hear from you.

Pensive in NYC, Elisheva Urbas
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