So why this project?
“I believe raising the breastfeeding rates among African American women will help reduce infant and maternal mortality,” Laura says.
How can a few photographs help do that?
“For being one of the healthiest things for mother and baby, breastfeeding is underrepresented in today’s society,” Laura says. “Imagine for a moment if breastfeeding/breastmilk was an FDA-approved “medicine”. A “drug” that could claim to increase IQ, provide antibodies, lower the risk of asthma, allergies, SIDS, diabetes, obesity and infections. Providing all these benefits for a baby with no known negative side effects. Could you imagine the marketing that would happen for that “medicine”?”
“Research shows us that breastfeeding is a learned behavior. One of the ways women learn to breastfeed is by SEEING it happen. That is what I wanted to do with this project; I wanted society to see more breastfeeding. I wanted that young woman to see her peers modeling breastfeeding, so she can see other women just like her. She will know that black women can and do breastfeed. I hope that she will feel supported and decide to breastfeed her baby, maybe for the first generation in many years.”
“In this project I wanted the women to be glorious, to feel celebrated, to step out of the normalcy of motherhood and to feel like Queens.”
“Breastfeeding isn’t always glamorous, but choosing to breastfeed can provide lifelong benefits for both mother and baby.”
Thank you for sharing these beautiful photographs with us, Laura! You can find more from Laura on her Website or over on Facebook.
