From Breastfeeding To Beyoncé, 'Skimmed' Tells A New Story About Black Motherhood

To explain the persistence of lower rates of breastfeeding among black mothers, we should look to systemic and historic factors rather than individual choice. That's the argument of Skimmed: Breastfeeding, Race, and Injustice (Stanford University Press) by law professor Andrea Freeman, which provides in-depth historical, socioeconomic and legal context that sheds new light on black motherhood.

Skimmed tells the poignant story of the Fultz quadruplets from Reidsville, N.C., the first documented set of African American quads born in the U.S. Their birth in 1946 became national news turning them into celebs and the face of baby formula company Pet Milk. Despite their celebrity, the girls were exploited financially and graduated high school in poverty.

To stunning effect, Freeman uses their story as a starting point for providing a history of black motherhood from enslavement to the present. The