Kimarie Bugg, DNP, FNP-BC, MPH, FAAN, IBCLC

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Kimarie Bugg, DNP, FNP-BC, MPH, IBCLC, is Chief Empowerment (CEO) and Change Leader of Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere, Inc. (ROSE), a nonprofit corporation developed in 2011, to address breastfeeding inequities and disparities in the African American community. Dr. Bugg previously worked for Emory University, School of Medicine, as a nurse practitioner, private practice pediatrics as an NP, as a perinatal nurse consultant for the state of Georgia, perinatal educator, hospital nurse administrator, special care nursery staff, bedside breastfeeding consultant and pediatric emergency clinic staff nurse. Kimarie was a board member of the United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) and faculty for CHAMPS (communities and hospital's advancing maternal practices) a Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative. She also provided training for WIC Breastfeeding administrative staff and Peer Counselors nationally. Dr. Bugg completed a Community Health Leadership Program, within the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine that stressed best practices to provide global health equity and eliminating health disparities through action-oriented projects. Mrs. Bugg is married to Dr. George W. Bugg Jr. a neonatologist and they are the parents of five adult children.

The “Magic Of Our Fears And Tears” – An Interview With Kimarie Bugg, DNP, RN, MPH, IBCLC.

Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere, ROSE

Reaching Our Brothers Everywhere, ROBE

Reports

An African American Breastfeeding Blueprint. We are thrilled you are here to download the "Saving Tomorrow Today: An African American Breastfeeding Blueprint"! By clicking the link or image, you will be taken to a short survey followed by access to the Blueprint.

Black Mamas Matter Alliance’s Report: Setting the Standard for Holistic Care of and for Black Women

Advancing Birth Justice: Community-Based Doula Models as a Standard of Care for Ending Racial Disparities

Uplifting Birth Justice Through Doula Care!

Books

Killing the Black Body: Race, Reproduction, and the Meaning of Liberty

Reproductive Justice: An Introduction

Birthing Justice: Black Women, Pregnancy, and Childbirth

Radical Reproductive Justice: Foundation, Theory, Practice, Critique

Organizations

Black Doula Locator

Black Mamas Matter Alliance Black Mamas Matter Alliance is a Black women-led cross-sectoral alliance. We center Black mamas to advocate, drive research, build power, and shift culture for Black maternal health, rights, and justice.

The Black Maternal Health Caucus. Congresswomen Alma Adams and Lauren Underwood founded the Black Maternal Health Caucus (BMHC) in April 2019 to improve health outcomes for black pregnant and postpartum people. According to a press release from Adams’ office, the caucus “aims to raise awareness within Congress to establish black maternal health as a national priority and explore and advocate for effective, evidence-based, culturally-competent policies and best practices for health outcomes for black mothers.”

Black Women Birthing Justice. Black Women Birthing Justice is a collective of African-American, African, Caribbean and multiracial women who are committed to transforming birthing experiences for Black women and transfolks. Our vision is that that every pregnant person should have an empowering birthing experience, free of unnecessary medical interventions. Our goals are to educate, to document birth stories and to raise awareness about birthing alternatives. We aim to challenge medical violence, rebuild confidence in our ability to give birth and decrease disproportionate maternal and infant mortality.

The Blavatnik Family Women’s Health Research Institute is to optimize quality of care for women across the life span and to narrow gaps in treatment and outcomes in underserved populations.

As a research Institute, our focus will be to transform women’s health by advancing science, training the next generation of scientific leaders in women’s health, and promoting breakthroughs in clinical care. They have published research on how black and Hispanic women are more likely to report postpartum depression symptoms, why many moms don’t feel prepared for emotional or physical postpartum issues, and how life-threatening maternal complications occur more frequently among black women than their white counterparts, to name a few topics.

Every Mother Counts is a non-profit organization working to make pregnancy and childbirth safe for every mother, everywhere. We work to achieve quality, respectful, and equitable maternity care for all by giving grants and working with partners and thought leaders to increase awareness and mobilize communities to take action. 

Racial Equity Tools. Racial Equity Tools is designed to support individuals and groups working to achieve racial equity. This site offers tools, research, tips, curricula and ideas for people who want to increase their own understanding and to help those working toward justice at every level – in systems, organizations, communities and the culture at large.

We welcome your feedback and contributions to site resources, and hope that you will subscribe to site updates and become connected with fellow users on our Facebook page.

The National Birth Equity Collaborative. NBEC seeks to provide research to promote healthier birth experiences and health outcomes. Birth Equity Index (BEI) is the result of a mixed-methods variance of Black Infant Mortality in the U.S. through Women’s lived experiences in their communities. We partnered with researchers to provide analysis of the collective impact of these experiences and have created a Birth Equity Tool Kit assessment survey. NBEC provides a customized set of strategic racial equity training sessions covering how racism shows up in levels of power, leadership, and worldviews, and how to identify and apply this knowledge to dismantle the root causes of health inequities. We provide a framework to advance health & birth equity in all aspects by intervening on an interpersonal and institutional level.

The Shades of Blue Project is dedicated to helping minority women who are suffering from postpartum depression and/or anxiety. We are dedicated to helping women before, during and after child-birth with mental health advocacy, treatment and support. Our goal is to reach women globally helping to restore them mentally, physically and spiritually.

Sista Midwife Productions and the Sista Midwife Directory. Sista Midwife Productions provides education, training and consultations for communities, birth workers and organizations that work with child bearing families. We work to improve pregnancy, birth experiences and to eliminate perinatal disparities by increasing the numbers of black birth workers, teaching families about their patient rights; and creating transparency and accountability within childbirth education and the medical obstetrical system. We are dedicated to increasing the numbers of black birth workers and birth workers trained to support families in a culturally holistic way. We know that this is an integral part of the solution to eliminating perinatal disparities.

Village Birth International (VBI) is a community-based organization dedicated to improving outcomes in maternal-child health while seeking birth and reproductive justice for families facing inequities in the childbearing year. We are committed to universal health equity for all families by eliminating the impact of racism and systemic oppression on perinatal outcomes. Our work is currently based in Syracuse, NY, New Jersey, and Northern Uganda. 

Kindred Breastfeeding Articles, Podcasts and Videos

National Breastfeeding Organizations

Kindred articles on Paid Parental Leave and Paid Family Leave

Kindred articles and videos on Worksite Breastfeeding-Friendly Law

Kindred’s Equity-Diversity-Inclusion Resources

Kindred’s Black Mothers and Fathers Resources

Milk – The Food That Helped Evolve Humanity, A TEDx Talk by Laurel Wilson

Saving Tomorrow Today: An African American Breastfeeding Blueprint

Breastfeeding Posts on Kindred by Darcia Narvaez, PhD

Breastfeeding In The USA—A Little History, Part 1 Of 2

Breastfeeding’s Importance—What Science Tells Us, Part 2 Of 2

Safe Infant Sleep And Breastfeeding Are Partners

Breastfeeding Moms Face Illegal Discrimination At Work

What Do You Know About Breastfeeding? 

Breastfeeding As Companionship: An Ancient Tradition 

The Myth Of “Breastfeeding Is Optional” 

Breast Milk Keeps Time And May Set Baby’s Clock 

New Book, Unlatched, Explores Whether Breastfeeding Is Vital 

• Breastfeeding Reduces Child Abuse/Neglect VIDEO
• Answering the Critics: Breastmilk Separate of Breastfeeding Does Not Produce the Same Results VIDEO and Article
• Why Sleep Training Is Bad for Moms and Babies: Breastfeeding Moms Get More and Better Sleep VIDEO and Article
• New Research Shows Breastfeeding’s Healing Impact on Sexual Assault Trauma VIDEO and Article
• How Breastfeeding Supports Maternal Mental Health VIDEO and How Other Cultures Support Moms Postpartum Article