(Black PR Wire) -- DETROIT, Michigan – Black Mothers Breastfeeding Association (BMBFA) will launch the Birth and Breastfeeding Leadership Institute to serve as a virtual national leadership development program designed to advance the community in the maternal-child-health sector while decreasing the racial bias black communities often face. The goal of the Birth and Breastfeeding Leadership Institute is to improve black birth and breastfeeding outcomes by activating, strengthening and advancing the power of leadership inherent in all black communities. This work is supported by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

“We are thankful for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s investment in people. This Institute is an opportunity to expand the capacity of leaders to affect change on behalf of black families in communities throughout the nation,” stated BMBFA Founding Executive Director, Kiddada Green.

“At the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, children are at the heart of everything we do, and we know for children to thrive, their families need to be healthy and their communities need to be equitable places of opportunity. This work supports those goals by contributing to the creation of leaders with an understanding of racial equity and what it takes to change the systems that lead to disparities in breastfeeding success for Black families." said Dr. Marijata Daniel-Echols, a W.K. Kellogg Foundation program officer.

The institute will meet leaders where they’re at by providing necessary content accessible 24/7 aimed at different learning styles. It will strengthen and develop community and organizational leadership. This initiative will improve black birth and breastfeeding outcomes by optimizing the first food experience for black families by means of direct service, education, and advocacy.

Community-led help increases breastfeeding initiation and duration rates as well as improved birth outcomes for black babies. The Birth and Breastfeeding Leadership Institute will simultaneously help build capacity by addressing a crucial gap on a community level where care can be local, accessible, and more personal.

The institute's advisory board includes Dr. Arthur R. James, an Obstetrician, Gynecologist, and Pediatrician who has been involved in the care of underserved populations for the entirety of his medical career. He is a Children’s Hospital Co-Chair of the Ohio Collaborative to Prevent Infant Mortality. Amongst many other esteemed advisory committee members is Dr. Gail Christopher, a nationally recognized leader in health policy, with extensive experience in integrative health and medicine, social determinants of health, health inequities and public policy.

BMBFA’s Birth and Breastfeeding Leadership Institute, set to launch in 2021, will directly influence leadership in various health communities across the United States, particularly those targeting African-American women and children. Learn more at bmbfa.org/birth-breastfeeding-leadership-institute

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About Black Mothers’ Breastfeeding Association (BMBFA) BMBFA is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization established in 2007. BMBFA’s mission is to reduce racial inequities in breastfeeding support for black families. The mission is carried out by way of direct service, training, advocacy and social movement. Nationally, BMBFA is a recognized leader in the field. Amongst other distinguished work and awards, BMBFA served as a contributing expert for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention by providing recommendations for the U.S. Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding. BMBFA is nationally accredited by Health Connect One for its community-based doula program. Its signature work, Black Mothers’ Breastfeeding Club (BMBFC) is nationally replicated and has run without interruption for over 10 years. Furthermore, BMBFA is the anchor organization for the Black Breastfeeding Caucus, co-leader/creator of Black Breastfeeding Week and the Black Infant Remembrance Memorial. For more information visit http://blackmothersbreastfeeding.org/