Celebrate Black Maternal Health Week with WIC!

🕗 Join us for a special Instagram Live event on Wednesday, April 15, at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT as we celebrate #BlackMaternalHealthWeek!

Black maternal health experts will share how WIC supports Black mamas across the country with practical advice on breastfeeding support, connecting with WIC resources, and more. The #BMHW26 theme, Rooted in Justice and Joy, honors the resilience and leadership of Black mamas and birthing people while naming the systemic injustices that continue to shape Black maternal health outcomes.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of Black Maternal Health Week, created and led by the Black Mamas Matter Alliance! The Black Mamas Matter Alliance works to promote collective action and amplify the collaboration among Black-led organizations, advocates, and communities. Learn more about Black Maternal Health Week and get engaged with Black Maternal Health Week events happening online and in person, across the country! 

Tune in to our Instagram Live event on Wednesday, April 15, by following us at  @WICYouGotThis! 

Whether you’re navigating pregnancy, postpartum, breastfeeding, or raising little ones up to age five, this is your space to learn, ask questions, and feel supported. Our panelists will share practical tips, insights, and ways that WIC can support your family every step of the way. 

Our Instagram Live events offer a low-key, conversational way to connect with Black maternal health and breastfeeding experts as well as fellow parents. Get your questions answered in real time or watch later as an Instagram Reel. You can also learn more about WIC and the process to enroll in the Learn About WIC section of this website.

Meet the panelists and moderator: 

Breanna Kuimi, IBCLC, CHN, Panelist—Breanna has been a nurse for a decade, and she’s also an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and CHN (certified holistic nutritionist). Breanna is a mom of 4, including twin babies, a woman of God, and CEO of Anew Life, a nonprofit based in Los Angeles that offers postpartum support services. 

Micia Eddins, MPH, IBCLC, CD, CHW, CLS, Panelist—Micia is a Detroit-based public health innovator, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), certified doula, and Community Health Worker. She is the Founder & CEO of J.O.B. Lactation and the visionary behind groundbreaking initiatives advancing maternal health equity.

She is the creator of The Real Breastfeeding Experience, an immersive Virtual Reality (VR) education platform designed for use with Oculus headsets. The program provides interactive, 3D learning on breastfeeding anatomy, milk production, latch technique, and infant stomach size, transforming how maternal health education is delivered in both clinical and community settings.

Micia is also the Executive Producer of The Real J.O.B. – Joys of Breastfeeding, a powerful documentary amplifying real stories of labor, birth, and breastfeeding advocacy.

Dimond Preston, Moderator—Dimond is a Senior Communications Associate at the National WIC Association (NWA). She works on the Communications Team, focusing on marketing and content creation for NWA products, events, and newsletters. Dimond also manages NWA’s website and the WIC Hub, a collection of resources and research about WIC.

Dimond holds a Master of Public Health in Public Health Communication and Marketing from George Washington University and a Bachelor of Science in Health Science from Virginia Commonwealth University. Her interests and passions include using public health communications to advance health equity, particularly in areas such as Black maternal health, health disparities, and food security. Dimond was also a WIC baby, which inspires her work at NWA today. She joined NWA in May 2024.

We hope to see you on Instagram Wednesday, April 15th at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT. Share this blog post with family and friends who may be looking for more information about WIC, breastfeeding, and Black Maternal Health care and advocacy! If you’re unable to attend, don’t worry. The Instagram Live will be recorded and posted as a Reel the next day.

Author

Mariah Cowsert

Mariah Cowsert is a Senior Communications Associate at the National WIC Association. She has 9 years of experience in public health communications, with her work ranging from direct social service and affordable housing organizations in DC and her home state of Michigan, to supporting sexual and reproductive health education initiatives at a national non-profit in Baltimore. As someone who grew up in a low-income household in rural Michigan—she knows firsthand that when families have access to quality, healthy foods regardless of their income or zip code; they can not only survive but thrive.