Facing Race: A National Conference in St. Louis, MO — November 20-22, 2024

Felisha Floyd

President, NAPPLSC | The National Associaiton of Professional and Peer Lactation Supporters of Color
Felisha Floyd is a hospital based International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and works with Boston Medical College’s Communities and Hospitals Advancing Maternity Practices program. Felisha is the owner of Beyond Breastfeeding and Our Brown Baby. President The National Association of Professional and Peer Lactation Supporters of Color and member of the First Food Racial Equity Cohort. Social media guru “Blactavist.". She trains across the U.S. and serves as an advisor for National WIC Loving Support Program. Member of the World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative for the U.S. Education Director for Mom2Mom Global, Board member of United States Breastfeeding Committee.

Presentations from Facing Race 2018

First Food Justice a Revolutionary Act: National First Food Racial Equity Cohort: Building a Movement

The National First Food Racial Equity Cohort consist of national leaders selected to build effective alliances across divisions and in delivering the message that racial equity impacts and can truly benefit all communities. Highlights of the impact of collective action from The First Food Cohort will be shared. This session will provide a framework for understanding racial equity in the realm of the food justice movement. Participants will learn how imbalanced and oppressive social structures prevent the inherent right for families of color to provide human milk as first food. Breastfeeding is a primary food justice concern and our most important first food. Participants will identify inequities in breastfeeding rates and related health disparities arise from structural failures to provide adequate support in communities of color. These concepts will encourage reformation in policies and procedures which will fuel collective impact and movement building for first food racial equity. This session we will discuss why first food matters for communities of color across the nation. Research shows that the first 1,000 days of nutrition can set a course for a healthy life or perpetuate a cycle of poverty, ill health, and disease. The collective solutions solicited during session will empower systemic change in the racial structures which impacts the first food field. In this segment we will explore connecting with communities of color through relationships and active listening. Co-creating and implementing community informed strategies are imperative to dismantling barriers and eliminating disparities.

Speakers: Felisha Floyd, Brenda Reyes