Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

USBC Working Definition of Equity

Our working definition of equity is compiled from the examples of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Center for Social Inclusion, Collective Impact literature, and others. It views equity as three interwoven components: a lens, a mirror, and an outcome.

It is a lens through which we view the world to inform and guide the design of our strategies and activities to build a "landscape of breastfeeding support."
It is also a mirror through which we view ourselves and our organizations, examining our internal structures, culture, and policies and their impact on how the lens is applied and the outcome achieved.
Lastly it is the outcome we seek to achieve, i.e., equity is realized when life outcomes are equal, in a statistical sense, regardless of one’s identities.

Equity work can take the form of actions designed to address historic burdens as well as to remove present day barriers to equal opportunities. It can be accomplished by identifying and eliminating systemic discriminatory policies and practices, but also by transforming structures towards access, justice, self-determination, redistribution, and sharing of power and resources. Above all, it requires an inclusive approach that maximizes engagement of the communities impacted.

USBC CRASH Committee & Transformation Teams

In August 2013, the USBC Board of Directors formed the CRASH Committee to enhance USBC governance, membership, personnel, and coalitions' ability to build structures, systems, and a culture of inclusiveness and mutual support for all peoples. The committee's name comes from the name of a cultural competency training program for medical professionals. "CRASH" is a mnemonic for the following essential components of culturally competent health care: consider Culture, show Respect, Assess/Affirm differences, show Sensitivity and Self-awareness, and do it all with Humility.

The CRASH Committee has developed a set of recommendations for the USBC in each of its four areas, and is serving as the driver of cultural change within the organization by forging national-level dialogue with an emphasis towards action on diversity, equity, and inclusion. It is working in Transformation Teams to prioritize and implement policy and structural changes in each of its four domains: governance/leadership, membership, staff/personnel, and coalitions.

Racial Equity Webinars

The United States Breastfeeding Committee hosts this series of bi-monthly webinars as part of its efforts to "create and model a culture of inclusion, diversity & equity" (USBC Strategic Framework Goal 4). With funding support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, this series will focus on building the capacity of the breastfeeding field to apply both an "equity lens" to inform and guide our external strategies and activities, but also an "equity mirror" to examine our internal structures, culture, and policies. Webinars are held every two months (in odd numbered months) on the fourth Tuesday of the month from 2:00-3:30 p.m. ET.

Access Info

Access to these webinars is open to all in the USBC network of member and partner organizations and breastfeeding coalitions. Topic/speaker details are posted 1-2 weeks before each session on this page and in the Racial Equity Learning Community. The recordings and presentation materials from all past sessions are archived below.

Register for the webinar series

NOTE: To streamline access, these webinars are set up in GotoWebinar as a series. You only need to register for the series once, and you will then receive auto-reminders of each session with the topic/speaker details. Even though you may not be able to attend every webinar session live, the series registration will still send you auto-reminders so that you have easy updates on the topic and links to the live webinar and archives.

Join the Racial Equity Online Learning Community

Next Webinar

Tuesday, May 22, 2018 • 2:00-3:30 p.m. ET

Important Links:

**Register to access webinar**
Presentation Slides (coming soon)
Video Recording (coming soon)

Previous Webinar

Tuesday, March 27, 2018 • 2:00-3:30 p.m. ET

Important Links:

Infant and Young Child Feeding During Emergencies (IYCFE)

Presented by:
Katherine Shealy, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Aunchalee Palmquist, Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute, UNC-Gillings School of Public Health
Felisha Floyd, National Association of Professional and Peer Lactation Supporters of Color (NAPPLSC)
Lourdes Santaballa, Executive Director, IBCLC, IYCFS at Alimentación Segura Infantil (ASI)
Tracy Erickson, Texas Department of Health Services, WIC Program

Infants and young children are particularly vulnerable during emergencies. Damage to critical infrastructure, including roadways, railways, shipping, transportation, power, water, communication towers, limits access to nutritious food, clean water, basic services, and urgent health care, causing greater hardships for families with infants and young children. Natural disasters impact short and long term health outcomes in communities. Research shows that disasters have been known to disproportionately affect rural and communities of color due to systemic barriers that make these communities more susceptible. Prevention and preparedness are key to ensuring that infants and children have the best opportunity to survive and thrive. This session will provide context for infant and young child feeding in natural disasters and emergencies, and highlight the role of Federal and local agencies and communities in preparedness, mitigation, and response. Panelists will share an overview of breastfeeding prevalences in PR and USVI relative to other US states and territories, a timeline of the 2017 hurricanes and CDC’s role in the federal hurricane response. We will hear about the grim realities on the ground during and in the aftermath of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Jose, and Maria in 2017, and hear tangible examples of the vital role of community-driven IYCFE efforts in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico. Panelists will discuss strategies to protect and support breastfeeding, and promote safe feeding when breastfeeding is not possible. Resources, including assessment tools, culturally congruent communication tools, and key messaging guides will also be shared to help your coalition/organizational build capacity to coordinate support and be an active stakeholder to protect the health of infants and young children in emergencies.

Webinar Archives

To search the archives by keyword, speaker name, and more, visit the file library in the Racial Equity Learning Community.