Written by Septembre Anderson
This week, Australian mother and university grad Jacci Sharkey skyrocketed to Internet fame when a picture of her breastfeeding her 11-month-old son went viral. The mother of two, who graduated with a Bachelor of Business in Human Resource Management from the University of the Sunshine Coast, was praised for her “adorable” photo and for nailing the work-life balance.
“To me the picture represents mums being able to have it all, a career and a family,” says Sharkey. “They don’t have to give up the career for kids, and don’t have to give up kids for the career.”
This June, a photo of another breastfeeding graduate went viral. Karlesha Thurman was photographed in her cap and gown while breastfeeding her child at her university graduation. Thurman was receiving her degree in accounting from California State University, Long Beach when her then three-month-old daughter became fussy. Thurman breastfed her daughter, a friend snapped a picture and Thurman posted the photo on the Black Women Do Breastfeed Facebook page.
However, Thurman received a very different response. Karlesha was flung into Internet ignominy for the image and widely criticized for the “inappropriate” picture.
There are many similarities between Sharkey and Thurman. They are both in their twenties, both mothers and both university graduates. However, there is one trait that they don’t share and this trait alters their life trajectory and how they are treated and perceived as mothers and women – race.
The attack of Thurman, who was eventually forced to take down the image because of the negative feedback, was originally framed as the public’s negative reaction to a woman breastfeeding in public but many Black people knew differently. The Sharkey image, and the positive responses to it, shows that there is more to this story.
When society looks at Sharkey, who is white, they see a dedicated, devoted mother. When they look at Thurman, they see a young, scandalous, ghetto girl (in tweets, Thurman was regularly described as ‘ratchet’ and ‘ghetto’).
In society, Black women routinely find themselves hyper sexualized, defeminized and criminalized. When they are not being reduced to sex-crazed jezebels, the most minute of actions are read as illegal or immoral. Thurman was called a slew of names for doing the exact same thing that Sharkey was praised for.
“I’m just glad that people can see that race is always going to be a factor,” said Thurman. “Some people act like it’s over, it’s not.”
Motherhood. Every woman experiences it differently and, sadly, race plays a huge part in how it is experienced.
I am surprised that no one has pointed out the big difference in body language or settings.
The white women is very clearly focused on her child and with a more private background creating a more maternal and professional feeling about it as the baby is the focus of the photograph. Her picture makes me feel as though I am catching them in a private moment of achievement, a mother accomplished something amazing for her child.
The black women is very clearly posing from the camera in a setting surrounded by other peers, while the baby is more of a prop so to speak. It makes it seems as the women is the focus of the picture rather than the baby and that the baby just happens to be there. I also think the background plays a big part in the difference as well.
I think it would be interesting to see if the races were reversed but the settings and body language remained the same if we would still react the same or not.
I think in general, as a society we are still very uncomfortable with public breastfeeding, and when we are uncomfortable with something, instead of expressing our discomfort we lash out at the things that are easy to target rather than talking about what the real issue is. In this case race was the easy target.
Take the picture I linked below, and compare it to the one of the black women above. They would still get very different reactions, even when both women are the same color.
http://newsone.com/2430024/black-women-and-breastfeeding/
When it comes to the issue of public breastfeeding, I don’t understand why it is so difficult to understand. Yes, mothers have the right to breastfeed their babies, and yes some people feel uncomfortable about an exposed breast. In every issue pertaining to rights in this country, we feel the need to persecute each other and try to control other people’s emotions. It doesn’t make someone a bad person for feeling uncomfortable about an exposed body part, and as crazy as the sexual harassment laws are in this country, you would think we would understand that. That’s not to say that the mother is a bad person for meeting her child’s needs either. It’s a tough situation, where does one person’s rights end, and another’s begin?
I know for me personally I was raised to see childbearing as a huge burden, I’m sure it was more to try and prevent teenage pregnancy but the effect it had on me was that I believed when I chose to have children, I was making a sacrifice of many personal freedoms in order to put the needs of my offspring first. I was made to believe that part of having children was accepting that I wouldn’t be able to do the same things that I did before, because I would have to plan my life around breastfeeding and diaper changes and so on. To me that was just part of having children. I was also raised with an extreme diversion to sexuality, or nakedness and modesty was a major value in my household. I admit, I am one of the people who public breastfeeding makes uncomfortable. I keep my squeamishness to myself, and I respect that my personal beliefs don’t need to be enforced on everyone else. I also understand that my values may be a bit old fashioned for this day and age.I also understand not everyone feels the same about it as I do and I do try to respect other women’s choices in how they choose to parent their children, even when it is different then my own, and this includes breastfeeding. I don’t feel my way is better, just different.
I think another big factor in that debate has to do with many areas that should be reformed to protect mother’s rights, but since it’s a lot harder to challenge the bigger issues, like paternity leave for example we make public breastfeeding the poster child for reform. “Everyone must be happy to tolerate my exposed breasts or you hate all women and probably want to murder your own mother and grandmother!” It’s not that black and white,except in the instance of this article. This is a great example of how we try to make it just that… Black or White.
Not wut u do jus how u do it get it?
Race? really? Now i admit I don’t agree with either picture one looks staged the other looks foolish the only diff I c is a background of people n one n what looks like a secluded area n the other
be quiet all of u , like those kids…..
The thing with this is that she posted it to ‘black’ mothers breast feed too. So I think that in calling the reactions racist is over looking that race was brought to attention in the first place.
If the photo was posted to a page that was just about breast feeding, no colour label, then there may have been racist comments, and the racist attack claim would be more justified. However, I can imagine that the other factors; such as it being in public, would have been in the foreground as an issue for people and there would have been less attention on the insults being a result of her skin colour; because the photo wouldn’t have been segregated to ‘black’ mothers in the first place.
By calling the nasty comments an attack on race, I think that the circumstances in which the photo was posted make this assumption pretty invalid. Post the same photo as the one with the white woman with a woman with darker skin and I doubt the level of angst would be shown.
Hmmm who gives a shit?
Saying that the only difference is race, is pretty inaccurate and not to mention slightly ignorant. The Australian mother’s photo was clearly shot in some sort of studio, and she’s Australian. Meanwhile, the American was in a public place (which some people make a fuss no matter who is the one doing it), as well as being American.
This is pure racism. It is even more sad if you just think that the white mother followed the example of the black mother and got all the praise while the other was criticized and condemned. Living in 2014 this is not fair and the press has a lot to do with.
What a B.S. This got nothing to do with racism, but everything with the American obsession for female breasts. Apparently, Australians take a different view.
I breastfed my four children, everywhere…when they needed to be fed…At restaurants, Church, at amusement parks…Yes, I did put a towel, or had special blouses on, to be a little bit more discreet. But then again, breasts are to feed babies, so there is NOTHING wrong for a mother to breastfeed her baby whenever necessary. It is NOT a-moral to do so in public; it is the public’s perception that feeding a baby with part of the breast exposed that is bad…Because frankly, in that case, ask for a ban for low cut shirts and push up bra’s in public, as the amount of breast flesh being shown is exactly the same…Support mothers who breastfeed; don’t demonize them…It is truly sad….
I think to often people respond to being closed mind. I breastfed BOTH of my children and NEVER received negative remarks. Wanna know why??? I never thought it was ok to show the world my breast. Sorry mothers but if you feel its wrong for people to criticize mothers who dont cover up while breast feeding makes me wonder about morals. People compare hald naked celebrities to mothers and ask why its not ok. Its not okay for either but as a mother wouldnt you want to represent whats right to your children. To protect and cover your bodies. Im a black woman who breast fed both of her children and i dont feel this is about racism. I think it is inappropriate for a woman to pull out her breast and think its ok not to cover up.
If my child is fussing in public because they are hungry, i don’t care who sees bc my first instinct is too feed my child. Why can u look at naked photos of celebrities and say nothing but u see a baby FEEDING off their mother’s breast and its a problem????
The first thing I notice is that one woman is looking at her child, and the other, the camera…
Remove this bullshit from the internet and get a real job. This is non informational and fucked up.
How racist…
How much more racist could one be to promote this story?
Septembre, all of the resulting actions of your demeanor are contributing to the nonsense known as contemporary racism. You are not helping any cause in any way, this is certainly not a concrete stance for any form of argument.
I agree with some statements in this post, however, another aspect (besides ethnical background/genealogy) is the fact that they live in not only 2 different countries, but 2 different continents. Attempting to compare the two is nothing shy of oxymoron reasoning. The Australian nation does not have the immigration history that is present here in the U.S. Though ‘true’ prejudice belief and actions (towards any/all denominations, not only white-black) are more plural than it should be for the 21st century, this form of translation is insulting and incommunicative. The present day, for better or for worse, upholds more ‘potential’ opportunity for anyone of any race, gender, religion, sexuality, demographic, belief, etc. than of any year in the past. Bottomline, there is not racist prejudgment in this scenario. Make yourself, not others.
the other major difference that one took the picture in the middle of a ceremony and the other took a picture in a closed room next to a wall in what seems like privacy.
These 2 young, dedicated lovely women should be applauded.
I honestly believe its just because one picture looks professionally done… and the other looks like an amateur picture of a grad breastfeeding outside with all these grads around. Its called natural selection not racism. I truly believe if the black woman did a pro photo doing the same she would have gotten good positive feedback as the picture would have looked like she was trying to send a message not just a spur of the moment baby/mom selfie… I dont see why ppl just call everything racist nowadays. It does happen but I feel like this article is just reading too deeply into it. If you look at all the comments in cosmo and other internet articles. People give negative opinions all the time based soley on looks and how a picture looks like.
This article is bias and not a fair comparison. True that racism exists, no doubt about that. No matter what race, we have all in some point in our life’s will or have experienced it. However The problem I have is that one photo shows breastfeeding while in a room and not around a large crowd (Only based off what I see from the photo). The second photo shows a woman breastfeeding while in a group out in the open. I don’t believe, to some extent, that the negative comments all were based on race.
I have always found it strange that it is okay for a man to walk down the street with no shirt on, but a woman’s body should be covered in shame at all times.
While I definitely believe that racism is real, public breastfeeding photos online always get tons of negative appalling comments from ignorant people.
I don’t believe this is racism because I think–NO, I bet, the people who were ignorantly criticizing the black girl and could NOT appreciate the beauty of what she was doing were other BLACK PEOPLE. Funny how this is framed as racist without ANY PROOF other than the two different supposed reactions by their audiences. How do we know who was tweeting the negative comments? Did they say, “I’m white and this is a ghetto black girl?” Why oh why are people in this country so eager to make everything racial. I’m willing to bet my entire check that if we could “prove” who gave the backlash to the point of forcing this article down it would the majority would be other blacks. But we can’t prove most of the racial accusation levied by black people and WHY they continue to exists and people like me get criticized and hated because we dare have the audacity to question the going narrative. As soon as there is absolute proof (besides what we feel or think) then I’ll gladly assent this to be racism and stand with anyone demanding correction of this matter to honor this beautiful black mom. Otherwise…I need more people.
Racism is very much alive and everywhere around us still, just hidden a little better. I deal with it and see it all the time. Open your eyes. You will see it too.
That incident was definitely racism. I think you missed the part where the Caucasian woman was basically praised for the SAME THING as the woman of African decent got the complete opposite reaction for. What would you call that if not racism.
just to make your your aware, some People are racist against their own race as well its rare but happens. Its interesting that you try to claim its not racism and ask why people always jump to that so quick. Yet you were quite quick to bring up race when saying who YOU THINK made the comments. That was a little close to racism itself. It doesn’t matter the race of whom comments. Its the comments not who said them.
A Canadian website which compares an Australian mom with an American mom. This is bad journalism
You want this to be about racism is the problem. The first mom is Australian, she lives in Australia. The 2nd mom is an American who lives in the US. Before you can say anything about race you also have to factor location. Also, as the OP said this post doesn’t specify who the people commenting negatively were. For all we know it could indeed be black people criticizing her. The irony in this is the white guy wants to tell the black woman how this is racist towards black women.
I thought he was white too… at first. I think it’s just a bad quality picture of a light-skinned black person.
i know this is old. but black can be racist to other blacks. we hold eachother back also
From a scientific perspective, Rob is correct. These images differ in two key ways: race of the subject and setting of the image. People who are racist might inherently find the image of a black woman offensive, but people who are uncomfortable with public breastfeeding might find the image of the woman breastfeeding in public offensive. Since this is not a controlled study, it would be inflammatory and wrong to jump to a conclusion that classifies viewers who are disturbed by the image of the black woman breastfeeding in public as being disturbed out of racist tendencies
The only difference is not race, that is ignorant for you to point out. The biggest, and most controversial, difference is the fact that Thurman is in public surrounded by other people including children. Yes, breastfeeding is natural but so are many other bodily functions that we shouldn’t do in midday crowded by others.
Can we bury this concern about public breastfeeding once and for all? Seriously, unless you think women’s bodies are inherently obscene, there shouldn’t be any concern about women breastfeeding in public around children. Nursing moms breastfeed babies around their older children all the time. Does breastfeeding suddenly become indecent when the older kids are parented by someone else?
But please—keep leaning back on your misogynist excuses to dismiss the obvious racism of the public’s double standards on breastfeeding.
Hahahah, you clearly refuse to see both mothers are in surrounded by others(just look at the shadowy figures), but it is your choice to be blinded by the truth.
What kind of bullshit logic is that? Because there’s a wall behind the one girl now it’s intimate? She could be standing against a concrete pillar in a stadium for all I know. Not to mention, the “intimacy” if you will, is lost with the public posting of said image.
Personally, I wouldn’t have breast feed my daughter in the same situation, that’s my call, but all I see is two young mothers feeding their respective babies. NEITHER one should be chastised OR celebrated more than the either, and trying to explain it away with ‘one appears to be a more public setting than the other’ is a pathetic attempt to hide the real controversy which all boils down to one thing: one young women is black.
So you are equating a woman feeding her child in public to someone shitting in the middle of the crowd?
Here are my thoughts. http://normalizebreastfeeding.org/2014/11/breastfeeding-at-graduation-what-is-so-different/
Racism.. yes. Its real. And black women generally get the rawest deal.
but it should be mentioned that the white girl photo is intimate.. just mother and child. It might even be a studio shot. While the other is a candid shot, in public during the grad ceremony. I think that affects the way most people’s perception.
That’s nonsense, unless you think public breastfeeding is somehow a bad thing. Which makes you a misogynist jackass. Either way, your premise is hypocritical.
calm down. Rob isn’t a misogynist jackass for pointing out something that someone else might have thought. he’s saying OTHER people have a problem with public breastfeeding, and i agree with him, thats probably the issue here far more than race. i don’t have anything against breastfeeding in public, but other people do. If Thurman took the photo somewhere private it probably wouldn’t have caused such a fuss and likewise if Sharkey had been breastfeeding her child in public in the middle of her graduation, people still would have freaked out. racism is enough of a problem without throwing it into issues it doesn’t even have a hand in.