Diversity and Inclusion
Though I am the President of MSBC, much of my work has centered around my other role as the chair of the DEIJB Committee. Myself and the DEIJB Committee have worked to make MSBC a more inclusive space in the last two years, and because of our hard work, I was invited to speak as part of a panel at the United States Breastfeeding Committee’s National Conference and Convening this past June.
It was an incredible honor to be invited to speak. The panel was made up of myself, two members of the Connecticut Breastfeeding Coalition, and a doctor from the American Academy of Family Physicians. Each of us were asked to speak about progress and challenges in our organizations’ DEIJB journeys. The title of our panel was ‘One Step at a Time: Transforming Organizational Culture to Advance DEI in the First Food Field.’
For my portion of the talk, I highlighted MSBC’s Inclusivity Statement, and how we wanted it to be more than just the standard statement most organizations use, because that didn’t really encompass what we believed in. I talked about how creating that statement led us to revise our mission statement. I was able to give attendees our robust list of DEIJB resources. I also spoke about our DEIJB Policy, which lays out what is expected of board members, and also steps community members can take if they find a provider to be harmful to marginalized communities, and what actions will be taken as part of that.
As for challenges, I explained that Maine, while it has some diversity in its general population, lacks diversity in the lactation field. One of the biggest challenges we face is trying to reach marginalized communities in a non-harmful way so we can better support families who need it. Other challenges are things like language barriers and a lack of diversity within MSBC.
I was able to talk about the future of DEIJB at MSBC. Though we had not yet launched our Equity in Lactation Education Scholarship, I did give a summary of who and what it would be for. The hope is that this scholarship will begin to help diversify the lactation field in Maine. I also spoke about ways we plan to reach more diverse communities.
And finally, all panelists were asked to give some advice for attendees. The first I gave was to remember that this journey is not a straight road. We expect to be able to read a book, pass a test, and move on. But that is not how DEIJB works. It is a long, curvy, bumpy road. My second piece of advice was that the lived experience and emotional labor of marginalized people have inherent value. Listen to and respect the knowledge they give. And pay them for it.
As a trans, queer, and disabled individual, I can say that I truly feel valued in MSBC. I am proud of the work we have done, and the work we will do in the future.