Governor Gretchen Whitmer is a lifelong Michigander. She is a lawyer, an educator, former prosecutor, State Representative and Senator. She was the first woman to lead a Senate caucus. But the most important title she boasts is MOM. Inspired by her family, she’s devoted her life to building a stronger Michigan for everyone.
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August 01, 2021
WHEREAS, breastfeeding is not a lifestyle choice, it is a public health imperative; and,
WHEREAS, breastfeeding is a key disease prevention strategy over the life course, including breast, ovarian, and uterine cancers, leukemia, cardiovascular disease and stroke, and diabetes, as well as mental health - all diseases that disproportionately impact Black and Indigenous People of Color; and,
WHEREAS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend exclusive breastfeeding for six months and continuing for at least a year; and,
WHEREAS, breastfeeding is central to reclaiming traditional birth practices from the detrimental and ongoing impacts of colonialism and chattel slavery on Indigenous and Black communities; and,
WHEREAS, breastfeeding in public is protected under the 2014 "Breastfeeding Anti-Discrimination Act" in Michigan; and,
WHEREAS, everyone in society benefits from breastfeeding, so must everyone contribute to making breastfeeding feasible to ensure a healthy future for all Michigan residents;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, join with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Michigan Breastfeeding Network, to hereby proclaim August 2021 as Breastfeeding Month in Michigan.