About The Obsidian Milk Collective

Why We Exist

The Obsidian Milk Collective is a Black-led, Alabama-based initiative committed to closing racial gaps in lactation support. We center Black families — birthing and non-birthing — who feed, support, and care.

We operate at the intersection of:
• Lactation Support
• Justice-centered Framework
• Deep South-rooted Leadership
• Culturally responsive care
• Lactation Justice Fund Infrastructure
• Ecosystem Model (not isolated services)

We envision a future where:

• Black families have equitable access to skilled lactation care
• Feeding is recognized as environmental, economic, and public health justice
• Access is not determined by income or geography

Birth justice that excludes lactation is incomplete.
Reproductive justice that excludes lactation justice is incomplete.

Our mission and vision guide how we serve, teach, partner, and lead—today and into the future.

We acknowledge that systemic racism and structural inequities have long impacted access to quality lactation support and representation within the perinatal workforce. Our work is rooted in the belief that equitable care requires intentional action, cultural humility, and accountability.

We center Black families and communities most impacted by maternal health disparities while remaining inclusive of all individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, family structure, ability, socioeconomic status, immigration status, or feeding journey.

Our commitment includes:

  • Culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and affirming lactation education and support

  • Increasing representation and leadership of Black lactation professionals

  • Advocating for informed, autonomous infant feeding decisions

  • Creating inclusive learning and professional spaces that honor lived experience alongside clinical knowledge

Equity is embedded in how we serve, teach, partner, and lead.

community data.

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cultural storytelling.

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systemic change.

community data. 〰️ cultural storytelling. 〰️ systemic change.

Our vision & Mission

Mission

The Obsidian Milk Collective exists to advance equitable, culturally responsive lactation support & education, professional development, and systems integration within maternal and infant health.

We support families through informed, autonomous infant feeding decisions and strengthen the lactation workforce by centering Black professionals, honoring lived experience, and building sustainable pathways for leadership, education, and impact.

Vision

We envision a maternal health landscape where:

  • Lactation care is integrated, accessible, and respected across all points of perinatal care

  • Black families experience improved outcomes, informed choice, and affirming support

  • Black lactation professionals are visible leaders, educators, and decision-makers

  • Lived experience and clinical knowledge are valued equally

  • Systems of care are accountable, inclusive, and rooted in equity

Our vision is a future where lactation support is not an afterthought, but a foundational component of maternal and infant health—and where those most impacted by inequity are leading the change.