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.

Grounded in healing justice and cultural power, we are building a future where every Black family feels sustained throughout their lactation journey.

A Civil War-era print of an African-American wet nurse - google images.

"I wish I dried up

I wish every drop of my milk slipped passed those pink lips and nourished the ground

Where the bones lay

Of my babies

Starved while I feed their murderer

I wish I dried up

So the missus babies would dry up too

And be brittle

So I could crumble them to dust

Return them to the ground

Where all children of my bosom lay equal"

— Hess Love

The Alabama Breastfeeding Equity Hub

The Alabama Breastfeeding Equity Hub is our signature initiative — the first Black-led effort of its kind in the state. We gather data and stories from Black families to shift how care is delivered, how policies are made, and how communities are heard.

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.

Our Approach

We fulfill our mission and move toward our vision through:

  • Lactation education and consultation

  • Professional training, mentorship, and workforce development

  • Community partnerships and organizational consulting

  • Advocacy and systems-level integration of lactation care

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

Meet the Leadership Circle

Rooted in care. Guided by community.

  • Founder

    Jasmine Hammonds is an Alabama-based lactation professional, maternal health educator, and reproductive health advocate working at the intersections of lactation, abortion care, maternal mental health, and maternal–infant health—particularly within the Southern context, where access, stigma, and systemic inequities deeply shape care.

    She is a Certified Breastfeeding Specialist, Certified Childbirth Educator, Certified Fertility Doula, Certified Placenta Encapsulation Specialist, Certified Nutrition Educator, and Certified Babywearing Educator, and is currently awaiting to sit for the IBCLC exam. Jasmine brings over a decade of experience working in healthcare and community-based spaces and currently serves as Co-Director of a nonprofit focused on reproductive care throughout Alabama.

    As the founder of The Obsidian Milk Collective, Jasmine leads trauma-informed education and consultation for clinics, organizations, and advocates seeking to better integrate lactation support across the full reproductive spectrum—including abortion, pregnancy loss, postpartum, and beyond. Her work is grounded in harm reduction, reproductive justice, and the belief that lactation care does not begin or end with birth.

    Jasmine’s practice is intentionally Black-led and Black-centered, rooted in liberation, dignity, and Black joy. She is committed to supporting all lactating individuals in parenthood, honoring diverse family structures, identities, and lived experiences while working to make maternal and infant health care more accessible, affirming, and equitable—especially in the South.

    In addition to her clinical and educational work, Jasmine serves in her individual capacity as a member of the Alabama Breastfeeding Committee and its Legislative Subcommittee. She also contributes to other state committees and task forces related to maternal and infant health through her broader professional roles.

    Her additional training includes labor doula work, pregnancy and infant loss advocacy, perinatal mental health, and service as the North Alabama Count the Kicks Ambassador. She is a former Certified Medical Assistant working in Pediatrics and Emergency Department, and has been recognized for her leadership and impact with the Terry Jo Curtis Award from USLCA and a CHAMPion of the Week spotlight from CHEER.

    Outside of her professional work, Jasmine is a wife and mother of four, bringing both lived experience and deep care into every space she serves.

  • Operations Director

    Al-Nisa is a Certified Lactation Consultant and mother of three girls with over seven years of experience in the maternal, infant, and child health field. Al-Nisa’s professional background includes healthcare compliance and risk management, which has strengthened her ability to provide safe, evidence-based, and family-centered care. She is passionate about equipping mothers with the knowledge, resources, and confidence they need to navigate breastfeeding and early parenthood.