Black Babywearing Week

[Poppetjohn]

Just wanted to see what people think of this idea.

Got an email from a baby carrier company telling me that they are celebrating “Black Babywearing Week” to “uplift and inspire black babywearers”. I don’t understand it. Why do companies seem to think black people need encouragement to do things? I understand when it’s an activity that black people often feel excluded from but babywearing? Surely that’s open to all! It then goes on to say they want to make babywearers “more accessible” to black people so I suppose they think it’s a demographic that is less able to afford their products. I don’t know. It doesn’t sit right with me, it feels patronising and unnecessary, but am I missing something?

It must be a joke. I bet they couldnt put out a racist advert and this is the closes thing they could think off.

Never heard of it. It does make me laugh that a company would feel Black people need this sort of encouragement; we've been doing it for centuries, I wonder where they got the idea from???

I know, exactly! I’m pretty sure babywearing originated in Africa.

ergobaby.com/blog/2021/03/a-babywearing-story/?utm_campaign=682724_June%2015%20Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Ergobaby%20Carrier%20Inc.&dm_i=4QFJ,EMSK,27H7LC,1JCU6,1

WTF!?!

Desperate marketing probably because there is a baby bust, and people aren't out and about as much so don't need them.

I have a two year old. My partner and I used used various slings and carriers to carry her when she was smaller as it was was easier to carry her around. Most of them we got from friends which is why we had different ones.

The only people who commented on it were:

1. Men (mostly Asian and Mediterranean) in central London who wanted to know where they could find them as they were a good idea.
2. Older Asian women in central London who said it reminded them of being a child in [insert Asian or African] country.

Further out in London where there are more babies, and you see parents of all ethnicities using them no-one made any comments.

Sounds like desperate marketing.

There's also black breastfeeding week, that I've seen a number of black instas promote.

But what is behind all of this? I read the linked article and I’m still none the wiser about why black women are starting or participating in these organisations or events. Does anyone here really feel like they need a Black [Insert Activity Here] Week in order to do something?!

OP it is probably their way of reacting to BLM.

I just saw something on instagram about it. It is a US based movement driven by black women in order to increase representation of baby wearing and to reclaim the heritage of baby wearing. I'm white and was very into baby wearing/attachment parenting when mine were small and now that I think about it would associate it with white, middle class parents simply because I've never seen any adverts/reading material with BIPOC parents baby wearing. That would lead you to belief that it is a Western practice/phenomenon, which couldn't be further from the truth! Perhaps some black women are fed up with this narrative?

I would absolutely not get involved in a consumer 'Black Week' anything - as in 'now let's target that black money!'

In any case I wouldn't be surprised if wearing your baby on your tummy and ruining your pelvic floor was indeed a Western phenomenon....

Definitely a Western thing to put your child on a lead like a pet and take them to the park!!!!

@Sugarintheplum the baby isn't on your tummy. They are on your chest until they are old enough (or more likely you are adept) in putting them on your back without causing them harm.

My white DP, who spent his younger years growing up in an area with loads of black people before it was gentrified, went to try on carriers from one of those carrier fitting women. He said he had to control his eye rolling when she said it was dangerous to wear an older baby/toddler on your back.

I'm pretty sure I've seen them carried below the chest area.

Like this - www.babybjorn.co.uk/baby-carriers/baby-carrier-one/?attribute_pa_color=sort&attribute_pa_material=cotton-mix

or this

www.babybjorn.co.uk/baby-carriers/baby-carrier-one-air/?attribute_pa_color=navyblue&attribute_pa_material=3d-mesh

The main bottom strap just above the ilium?

I would say I seldom see non-black persons carrying a baby on their back, even if it is in one of those £120 baby carriers when you could just go into Peckham and buy 1.5m material which will do the trick.

Sugar the way I see it is this is what the Black baby wearing week is all about - to "celebrate the rich ancestral history of baby wearing". I'm quite sure many in the baby wearing circles do not equate an African woman with a bit of fabric containing her baby as actual baby wearing. It almost has become a commercialised practice where you do have to spend big money. The branded 1.5m of fabric from Peckham can cost £100+.
Mine are far too old to be carried now but back then I would have been really interested in BBWW, as it centres the very ethnicity where the practice derived from. It also might have been an opportunity to raise awareness of Black owned sling businesses, which I would have rather supported.

Ok, so that company which emailed the OP is just jumping on the bandwagon of a black generated wellbeing push?

If that is the case, I am totally supportive of the effort.

Otherwise, not much.

Thx!

Obviously can't speak for the company, but can totally see why the movement started and why it would be a good thing for the baby wearing community.

Sugarintheplum they are models. I suspect they won't be able to carry a baby around like that for hours.

Yes it is mainly black women you see carrying their baby on their backs in the UK because you need confidence that you won't drop your child.

Also it isn't only African women who carry their babies using fabric lots of other ethnicities do. However everything to do with babies and childhood has to be commercialised in Western countries, and as they have suddenly realised black people have money as well they have to target us.