I have spent the entire day trying to wrap my head around this issue. Some are calling it racism, and others are referring to it as social status, but the difference in the media coverage of these two breastfeeding graduates is astounding to say the very least. I don’t know about you, but all I see here is two women with babies who were wanting to breastfeed while their mothers happened to be wearing their cap and gown.
So really, what is so different about their stories?
Why has one woman been publicly SHAMED to the point that she has deleted her photo, yet the other is receiving PRAISE and positive media coverage?
Location, Location, Location
In June 2014, Karlesha Thurman – a young black mother from California – posted a breastfeeding photo of herself in her cap and gown while nursing her baby (seated) during the graduation ceremony a midst her colleagues, on the Black Women Do Breastfeed Facebook page. Many people don’t know this, but if you post ANYTHING on a public Facebook page’s timelime, your post becomes public even if you have your privacy settings to only post to friends. The other thing is that if you post to a public page it will ALSO appear in the news feed of your Facebook friends! So someone who is a “closet breastfeeding supporter” may report your photo or worse, start to rant in your comments about how they “support” breastfeeding, BUT if you post public images you are indecent. -_- I am positive Karlesha didn’t expect such backlash from the people who she knew and this may have encouraged “trolling” on the thread by people who don’t support public breastfeeding at all. This is usually the case considering that breastfeeding in public is STILL considered a taboo in the United States.
4 months later – this past week – Jacci Sharkey sent a PRIVATE message to her school’s Facebook page, University of the Sunshine Coast (in Australia, where breastfeeding in public is considered the norm) in her cap and gown nursing her baby in what seems to be a secluded area. We really don’t know if she is nursing in public or not. It looks like she is sitting up against a wall in a possibly public hallway, but because the wall is all that we see in the photograph, when viewed in the media she is breastfeeding in private. By sending this photo in a private message to the University of the Sunshine Coast she released property and fully authorized the University of the Sunshine Coast to share the photograph creating a whole different type of media buzz. A positive one – since the University of the Sunshine Coast was uplifting and praising her from the get go for “thanking” them for supporting her during her years of enrollment.
Stereotypical Headlines
Regarding Karlesha Thurman (young, single, black mother of 1)
Controversial or Natural? Photo of Mom Breastfeeding at College Graduation Causes Stir – People.com
Breast-feeding mom’s college graduation photo stirs controversy – Today.com
Mom who posted image of her breastfeeding daughter at college graduation defends herself after backlash – Daily Mail Online
Regarding Jacci Sharkey (young, single, white mother of 2)
Australian woman breastfeeds six-week-old son at college graduation, becomes online sensation – New York Daily News
Beautiful Picture Of Mother Breastfeeding Her Baby At Her Graduation Goes Viral – Huff Post Lifestyle UK
Breastfeeding Mom Graduation Photo Goes Viral – Yahoo.com
Timing is Everything
Karlesha also happened to post her image during the months leading up to World Breastfeeding Awareness Month – after which, many people know better than to write stories shaming breastfeeding mothers.
Luckily for Jacci, her photo came into the public eye after this year’s EXPLOSION of breastfeeding awareness groups, campaigns, initiatives, and so forth.
Stats are FACTS
“Black babies are dying at twice the rate (in some place, nearly triple) the rate of white babies. This is a fact. The high infant mortality rate among black infants is mostly to their being disproportionately born too small, too sick or too soon. These babies need the immunities and nutritional benefit of breast milk the most. According to the CDC, increased breastfeeding among black women could decrease infant mortality rates by as much as 50%.” –Top 5 Reasons we need Black Breastfeeding Week – BlackBreastfeedingWeek.com
Media Invitations for Discussion
Karlesha was interviewed on the Inside Edition about what led to to the photograph being posted and how she felt about the negative backlash.
Jacci was invited to Skype with Great Day SA to “chat” about what led to the photograph being taken and how she felt about far it had reached, in a very positive light, and was even quoted for calling it “normal.”
Addressing Reasons Behind Backlash
You are probably here because you think I am going to address the racial formality that our society has used to categorize and stereotype these two breastfeeding mothers. Well you’re right! Although that is NOT all that I have to say – so stick around 😉 Black, single mom, Karlesha, was referred to as “controversial” time after time. White, single mom, Jacci, was referred to as “adorable.” If you don’t believe that “white privilege” exists in the breastfeeding community, you have a lot to learn. Mind you I am African-American myself, yet was raised as the ONLY black girl in my elementary school classes. So NO I am not racist – I always see both sides of the story because of my past. It is frustrating for a successful single black mother to make it through college and sit down to breastfeed her crying baby in a crowd only to be called indecent! Seriously? If you watched her video above you would notice how educated, well spoken, and DECENT she is! But don’t let her pull out her BREAST in public to feed her child – now she is an “INDECENT HOE????” I honestly can’t even begin to quote some of the horrific statements made about her. On the other hand, Jacci – who has even more breast exposed is referred to as “beautiful, adorable, and inspiring!!!” On the other hand some of the comments on her photos were just as outrageous as Karlesha’s – saying that she was an “exhibisionist, an attention seeker, and was disrespecting herself!”
Now that I have gotten that out of my system, let me just be real with you about what IS so different about these photos.
ONE IS, CLEARLY, IN PUBLIC AND THE OTHER IS NOT!
To all of you women who “talk” about wanting to normalize breastfeeding, start walking the “walk” and NURSE IN PUBLIC. You don’t have to share your photos online publicly. I share anonymous posts via the private message on our Facebook page all day everyday – and I honestly post every picture that is submitted when possible. If you don’t like Facebook share it on our Twitter @NormalizeBfing and use the hashtag #NIPUSA.
Breastfeeding in public is the ONLY way to bring about change, not for media, not for press, but to nourish and nurture your baby whenever and where ever they need it.
Please comment – I want your feedback!