,,iv  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,h4 ,,res4 #ajif  ,,in ,,the ,,house    
,,of ,,representatives  ,september #a1  
#bjbj ,ms4 ,adams submitted the         
following resolution2 which was referred
 to the ,committee on ,energy and       
,commerce  ,,resolution  ,expressing    
support for the designation of the week 
of ,august #be through ,august #ca1     
#bjbj1 as ,black ,breastfeeding ,week 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    
outcomes4  ,whereas1 according to the   
,centers for ,disease ,control and      
,prevention #bjag statistics1 ,black    
mothers' breastfeeding initiation rate  
was #gd percent compared to ,white      
mothers' rate of #hg percent2 ,whereas  
breastfeeding directly impacts the      
health and wellness of infants and the  
mothers who care for them2 ,whereas     
,black mothers have reported greater    

barriers to breastfeeding compared to   
their counterparts1 including pain or   
discomfort while breastfeeding1 concerns
 about breastfeeding in public1         
insufficient availability of promotional
 and educational efforts1 and the       
interference of breastfeeding with paid 
employment and other activities2        
,whereas some ,black mothers have also  
reported lack of a social support system
 for continued breastfeeding2 ,whereas1 
in ,north ,carolina1 only #ff percent of
 ,black mothers breastfed in #bjac1     
#bjad1 and #bjae versus #hj percent of  
,white mothers who breastfed during the 
same period2 ,whereas low breastfeeding 
initiation rates directly correlate to  
high infant mortality rates2 ,whereas   
,black babies have two times higher     
infant mortality rates than ,white      
babies in ,north ,carolina2 ,whereas    
babies who are exclusively breastfed for
 #f months and continue on through the  
first year could prevent #b1bfh maternal
 deaths and #fbf infant deaths annually 

across the ,united ,states2 ,whereas    
,black children are at a greater risk   
for childhood disease1 and the inability
 to exclusively breastfeed for the      
recommended six months has been         
attributed to twice as many deaths and  
three times as many childhood diseases  
in ,black infants as compared to ,white 
infants2 ,whereas one in four mothers in
 the ,united ,states return to work     
within ten days of giving birth2        
,whereas #fj percent of working mothers 
in the ,united ,states who are          
breastfeeding express breast milk in    
inadequate and unsanitary places on the 
job2 ,whereas ,,covid-#ai has tragically
 exposed the unfortunate impact of      
racial inequities in health for ,black  
communities2 ,whereas these inequities  
have led to ,black communities being    
disproportionately impacted by the      
virus1 including forced separations of  
mothers and infants after birth when    
breast milk is the safest and most      
reliable form of infant feeding during  

an emergency or pandemic2 ,whereas      
understanding such historical and       
contemporary racial inequities is       
important to address systemic injustices
 preventing families from achieving     
their breastfeeding potential2 ,whereas1
 if mothers could meet current medical  
recommendations for breastfeeding1 it   
would save the ,united ,states economy  
nearly #ac billion per year in pediatric
 health costs and premature deaths2     
,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    
outcomes2 ,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        
communities2 and ,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 survival3 ,now1 therefore1 be it 
,that the ,house of ,representative     
recognizes-- 7#a7 that systemic and     
institutional racism creates greater    
barriers for ,black women committed to  
meeting breastfeeding guidelines set out
 by ,federal public health officials2   
7#b7 that these barriers contribute to  
increasing health disparities leaving   
,black mothers and infants particularly 
vulnerable2  7#c7 that disproportionate 
rates of maternal mortality and         
morbidity in the ,united ,states and the
 alarmingly high rates of maternal      
mortality among ,black women are        
unacceptable2  7#d7 that ,congress must 
fully support and encourage policies    
that ensure ,black parents have access  
to affordable health care1 allow parents
 to take paid leave after the birth of a
 child1 and ensure that breastfeeding   

mothers have appropriate places to      
express breast milk2 and  7#e7 that1 in 
order to better mitigate the effects of 
systemic and structural racism1         
,congress must work toward ensuring that
 ,black communities have--  7,a7        
adequate housing2  7,b7 transportation  
equity2  7,c7 nutritious food2  7,d7    
clean water2  7,e7 environments free    
from toxins2  7,f7 fair treatment within
 the criminal justice system2  7,g7     
safety and freedom from violence2  7,h7 
a living wage2  7,i7 equal economic     
opportunity2 and  7,j7 comprehensive1   
quality1 and affordable health care4