Hard to believe but America is still asking, “Why don’t Black women breastfeed?” Black children are 2.4 times more likely to die before their first birthday and according to the CDC this could be lowered by as much as 50% with the increase of breastfeeding. http://www.gofundme.com/chocolatemilk We are raising funds to complete, market and release a feature-length documentary film, Breastfeeding a Nation: The History of My Chocolate Milk, exploring the disparaging breastfeeding rates within the Black communities, and diving into how our history plays a role in the present statics. The film will put the faces of real Mothers who breastfeed real children in the forefront. With the help of community activists, psychologists, nurses and political figures, Afrykayn Moon, the director, will attempt to make history of breastfeeding in the Black community visible, as well as articulate a few of the barriers that exist today. http://www.gofundme.com/chocolatemilk Afrykayn Moon is a mother of two with one on the way, as well as a breastfeeding activist, peer advocate and creator of Breastfeeding Mothers Unite, a grassroots organization geared towards bringing together breastfeeding mothers and their supporters. We invite you to become part of Moon’s vision. This is your chance to make a tremendous difference in the lives of Black women locally and internationally. We will finally provide an answer to “Why don’t Black Women breastfeed?” Be a part of the conversation. http://www.gofundme.com/chocolatemilk The money raised through GoFundMe will be used for travel expenses for the film crew to conduct interviews in multiple cities. It will also be used in production to create special effects & titles, as well as for the process of combining all of these elements: rendering, compositing, sound design and editing, as well as the necessary hardware and software needed to create a high resolution product. Historical re-enactment scenes for the film will also use a portion of the funds. Finally, a lot of the money will be used for media promotions for the theatrical release of the film. For this film, we are interviewing scholars, activists, midwives, historians and Mothers discussing topics that effect how Mothers view themselves and their history: *Mothers were adored for their ability to birth and breastfeed. *How slavery changed the way women view their bodies. *Breast formula companies: Friend or foe. *Secret war on women *Effects of watching black children dying from violence and how it can change the Mother child bond. And much more. This film will be of interest to everyone, regardless of ethnicity or cultural background, because the rich history of the people discussed. It will be the first film of its kind made specifically by women who have decided to stop waiting for someone else to tell their story and going out and telling their story in their words and just putting the truth out for the world to see. The minimum funding goal is $35,000, but we aspire to exceed that goal and make The History of My Chocolate Milk a series and an influential brand critically and academically around the world. http://www.gofundme.com/chocolatemilk

• published: 13 May 2015
• views: 33581