Kimberly Seals Allers

Based on Seals Allers’ top-selling and groundbreaking book, the presentation identifies and explains the social, cultural and economic forces at work manipulating decisions about breastfeeding. The talk examines the role of science and scientific protocols, medicine, commercial interests, feminist ideals, and other “actors”, in shaping infant feeding decision-making and what can be done to level the playing field. Allers also pushes for more structural support for breastfeeding mothers, improved communication and messaging from the lactation community and a call to action by physicians and other health professionals while creating a blueprint for changing social acceptance of breastfeeding as the biological norm.

Despite some improvements, lingering racial disparities still exist, particularly at the six-month and 12-month exclusivity milestones. This presentation identifies five key cultural and structural barriers to breastfeeding for the African American community as well as eight strategies for overcoming barriers, engaging with community and communicating effectively with African American women and men. Attendees will be able to better understand how current breastfeeding messaging and protocols may be disconnected from the lived experience of African American women and will understand strategies for developing more culturally appropriate messaging.

Drawing on the 3-year, W.K. Kellogg Foundation-funded pilot project in Detroit and Philadelphia, this presentation walks through the role and process of community assessment and engagement in increasing breastfeeding rates, shares qualitative results of the project and identifies key takeaways for the field in centering community in breastfeeding interventions.

When it coming to eradicating health disparities, how we communicate matters. From critical conversations on the role of structural racism in health outcomes to understanding the cultural nuances of language in various communities, how we talk about health impacts outcomes. Leveraging decades of experience as a journalist and communication strategist and eight years of on-the-ground work in the Southeast, Philadelphia, and Detroit directing maternal and child health-related programs and conducting community-partnered participatory research, this presentation leverages lessons learned in the field to create a blueprint for more impactful health promotion. It walks through common missteps of breastfeeding promotion, identified communication tools, and storytelling techniques and identifies strategies for building a new framework for talking about birth and breastfeeding.

Kimberly works directly with organizations to develop high-impact community
engagement and communication campaigns. Drawing on decades of media expertise and over six years of on-the-ground community insights, Kimberly uniquely understands how to create messaging and communication initiatives that connect.

She has led innovative community-based projects in New Orleans, Birmingham, Detroit, and Philadelphia that assessed the impact of “first food deserts” — communities that severely lack accessible resources to support mothers who choose to breastfeed — and developed community-partnered strategies to transform these areas into more breastfeeding supportive environments.

Kimberly also provides strategic communication and messaging services to hospitals, nonprofits and other public health-related organizations looking to more effectively engage communities of color.