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In Detroit, racial inequities lead to breastfeeding rates of about 30 percent for Black families with infant mortality more than twice the national average (1).
Southeast Michigan IBCLC’s of Color (SEMI) consistently ‘show up’ for families by providing services, developing advocacy, leveraging relationships, and mentoring countless other professionals entering the field of Black maternal health work. Members of SEMI lead in a vast array of capacities all throughout the region. Our commitment to reducing disparities in Black maternal and infant mortality in the Southeast Michigan region is visible in the significant programming of our organization. 1. MDHHS Lifecourse Epidemiology & Genomics Division. (2019). “Breastfeeding vital statistics by race ethnicity county 2017” [Data file]. Available from the MDHHS Lifecourse Epidemiology & Genomics Division). |
Our Story
In celebration of Black Breastfeeding Week 2017, a photoshoot was held to highlight African American International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) in the metro Detroit area. That created a desire for a more formal group, and out of discussions that sprang from that event, Southeast Michigan IBCLCs of Color (SEMI) was formed in 2018. Since that time, we have attended community health fairs, local birthworker gatherings and coalition meetings, as well as presenting at statewide, national and international conferences and creating a documentary about our work to change the face of lactation support.
Our Mission
To meet the unique needs for mentorship, fellowship and profession growth of IBCLCs of Color in the Southeast Michigan region in order to supply our community with equitable and timely access to culturally appropriate lactation support and advocacy.
Our Vision
That Black families and families of color will have reclamation, liberation and real choices to feed their babies however they want without guilt or shame.
Our COMMITMENT to the community
SEMI is actively involved in collaborative efforts to support breastfeeding with other organizations of color in the Southeast Michigan region such as Birth Detroit and Metro Detroit Midwives of Color as well as other organizations throughout the state. We also use our position and platforms to teach equitable lactation support practices to healthcare providers of the global minority who serve families in our community, as well as provide breastfeeding education and support to families of color.
Core Values
-Grace
-Sisterhood
-Trust
-Integrity
-Honesty
-Transparency
-Authenticity
-Safety
-Equity
-Inclusion
-Belonging
-Reflection
-Sisterhood
-Trust
-Integrity
-Honesty
-Transparency
-Authenticity
-Safety
-Equity
-Inclusion
-Belonging
-Reflection
Get to know our team
The Co-Founders of SEMI, affectionately known as the "Starting 5ive" include:
Jennifer Day is an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and founder and owner of Feed the Babes, LLC-an in-home and clinic-based, skilled breastfeeding support and doula service. Jennifer is the current Executive Director of the United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) and previously served as a Michigan Breastfeeding Network (MIBFN) Project Manager. She is also Chair Emeritus of the Oakland County Breastfeeding Coalition, facilitator of Meet, Nurse, Love- a community-based breastfeeding support group in Oakland County, MI, and co-founder of Southeast Michigan IBCLC's of Color.
Jennifer has committed herself to decreasing disparity gaps in breastfeeding by educating the public, using her voice and platforms, serving her community and equipping and empowering future leaders to change the world by mentoring future IBCLCs. The married mother of two happy, healthy, breastfed children is a leader, public speaker, consultant, clinician, advocate, minister and educator with thousands of experiential hours assisting and supporting pregnant and lactating families in clinical and in-home settings throughout Metro-Detroit and Southern Ontario, Canada.
Jennifer has committed herself to decreasing disparity gaps in breastfeeding by educating the public, using her voice and platforms, serving her community and equipping and empowering future leaders to change the world by mentoring future IBCLCs. The married mother of two happy, healthy, breastfed children is a leader, public speaker, consultant, clinician, advocate, minister and educator with thousands of experiential hours assisting and supporting pregnant and lactating families in clinical and in-home settings throughout Metro-Detroit and Southern Ontario, Canada.
Tameka Jackson-Dyer is an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant, Community Health Worker, trained doula and mental Health First-Aider whose passion is community outreach. She holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Health Studies/ Healthcare Administration from Siena Heights University, multiple lactation certifications and has been honing her counseling and clinical skills in community settings, WIC agencies, OB/Gyn offices and Baby Friendly hospitals throughout the metro Detroit area for almost 20 years. Her years spent as Manager of Community Collaboration with Coffective, Breastfeeding Subject Matter Expert with the EMU Center for Health Disparities, Innovations & Studies and lived experience as a Black breastfeeding mother allows her to provide a voice for the populations who are historically underrepresented in conversations about lactation support. To ensure she reaches as many families in her community as she can, in addition to her current role as Executive Director of SEMI, this member of the Starting 5ive is a wife and mother of three, owns a private practice- Crazymilklady Lactation Support Services, LLC,-serves as Chair of the Metro Detroit/ Wayne County Breastfeeding Coalition and volunteers as a Sisterfriend mentor with the Detroit Birthing Project.
Dr. Sekeita Lewis-Johnson is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner, International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and Birth Doula.
She is one of the Founding Members of Southeast Michigan IBCLCs of Color and Mama’s Mobile Milk, and the proud mother of 3 breast fed children, with first-hand knowledge regarding breastfeeding challenges.
Dr. Lewis-Johnson is owner of Mommy and Me Lactation Consulting, LLC, and serves as a Board Director for SEMI and a former Board Director for the United States Breastfeeding Committee. She sits on The Maternal Infant Health, Health Equity Action Committee for the State of Michigan, and is a member of MI Milk Collective. She serves her community by volunteering on the Beloved Community Initiative Leadership Team in Farmington Hills, Michigan.
Dr. Lewis-Johnson has received multiple awards during her career, including the 2021 Alumni Service Award from MSU School of Nursing. She is a national speaker with an international audience who also provides health equity training to local municipalities.
She is an avid advocate for equitable and just policies and practices especially related to black maternal-child health disparities.
She is one of the Founding Members of Southeast Michigan IBCLCs of Color and Mama’s Mobile Milk, and the proud mother of 3 breast fed children, with first-hand knowledge regarding breastfeeding challenges.
Dr. Lewis-Johnson is owner of Mommy and Me Lactation Consulting, LLC, and serves as a Board Director for SEMI and a former Board Director for the United States Breastfeeding Committee. She sits on The Maternal Infant Health, Health Equity Action Committee for the State of Michigan, and is a member of MI Milk Collective. She serves her community by volunteering on the Beloved Community Initiative Leadership Team in Farmington Hills, Michigan.
Dr. Lewis-Johnson has received multiple awards during her career, including the 2021 Alumni Service Award from MSU School of Nursing. She is a national speaker with an international audience who also provides health equity training to local municipalities.
She is an avid advocate for equitable and just policies and practices especially related to black maternal-child health disparities.
.Mia Roetherford holds a BA in Biology from Wayne State University and is currently employed as an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) in a children's hospital. She is an advocate of the underrepresented and a protector of her community- lover and caretaker of not only the infant that is born, but the mother as well.
Mia’s commitment to advancing breastfeeding equity through community-oriented breastfeeding support led her to earn Community Health Worker certification and the IBCLC credential through internship with the Mother Nurture Lactation College.
Mia is a lifelong Detroiter and mother of two breastfed children who desires to leave an impact that ultimately changes the culture and overall perspective of what breastfeeding is and looks like in her community. As a co-founder of Southeast Michigan IBCLC’s of Color and Mama’s Mobile Milk, she fights for breastfeeding equity, representation and cultural humility with love and passion for her community as the driving force for her work.
Mia’s commitment to advancing breastfeeding equity through community-oriented breastfeeding support led her to earn Community Health Worker certification and the IBCLC credential through internship with the Mother Nurture Lactation College.
Mia is a lifelong Detroiter and mother of two breastfed children who desires to leave an impact that ultimately changes the culture and overall perspective of what breastfeeding is and looks like in her community. As a co-founder of Southeast Michigan IBCLC’s of Color and Mama’s Mobile Milk, she fights for breastfeeding equity, representation and cultural humility with love and passion for her community as the driving force for her work.
Shonte’ Terhune-Smith is an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) who has worked diligently in Genesee County to increase breastfeeding rates through her private practice, You Overcoming Lactation Obstacles (YOLO) and as Chair of the Genesee County Breastfeeding Coalition. She has experience on hospital birthing units, pediatric and obstetric clinics and with WIC, providing breastfeeding education and skilled support. Shonte’ facilitates local support groups, works with community partners, provides postpartum doula services, and works as a certified childbirth educator, all while serving as a co-founder of Southeast Michigan IBCLC’s of Color. Shonte’ has worked with hundreds of families providing education, support, and empowerment to breastfeed successfully. Normalizing breastfeeding is her passion, with the goal of providing culturally competent care for all families. The busy wife and mother to four breastfed children understands that there can be struggles with breastfeeding but that with the right support, the struggles can be overcome.
SEMI Active Members include:
Ashley Allen is an IBCLC whose passion for seeing young children succeed led her to earn Child Development Associate (CDA) certification in Early Childhood from Eastern Michigan University. She utilized her education as a preschool teacher with the Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP). During her time there, her love for children of all ages guided her to the Oak Park School District, where she served as majorette coach for six years.
After the birth of her “rainbow baby”, Ashley embarked on her breastfeeding journey with seven of her close friends who had all delivered around the same time. She was disappointed when only she and one other mom from the group were able to meet the breastfeeding goals they had set. Seeing the struggles her friends faced, along with the requests for assistance she received when he shared her breastfeeding success, made her realize the lack of support that was available for women who look like her.
This inspired Ashley to go back to school with the goal of becoming an IBCLC. She attended Henry Ford College Lactation Program and a few weeks before graduation, she was offered the position of Lactation Educator at Ascension Hospital in Detroit, where she had completed her clinicals.
Ashley is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and along with her rainbow baby and his little sister, she is also a proud “dog mom” to two pit bulls and a Shi-Pooh. She is glad to to be a part of SEMI because of the opportunity to learn from like-minded people with the same passions and goals- to educate and assist more mothers with reaching their goals in nursing their babies.
After the birth of her “rainbow baby”, Ashley embarked on her breastfeeding journey with seven of her close friends who had all delivered around the same time. She was disappointed when only she and one other mom from the group were able to meet the breastfeeding goals they had set. Seeing the struggles her friends faced, along with the requests for assistance she received when he shared her breastfeeding success, made her realize the lack of support that was available for women who look like her.
This inspired Ashley to go back to school with the goal of becoming an IBCLC. She attended Henry Ford College Lactation Program and a few weeks before graduation, she was offered the position of Lactation Educator at Ascension Hospital in Detroit, where she had completed her clinicals.
Ashley is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and along with her rainbow baby and his little sister, she is also a proud “dog mom” to two pit bulls and a Shi-Pooh. She is glad to to be a part of SEMI because of the opportunity to learn from like-minded people with the same passions and goals- to educate and assist more mothers with reaching their goals in nursing their babies.
Amy Neloms is an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant and doula who received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Bowling Green State University in 2011 followed by a Masters in Public Health from Wayne State in 2014.
Amy was inspired to pursue a career in birth work after hearing multiple accounts of Black women leaving their partners and children behind due to hospital negligence. In order to do something to change the narrative, she became a birth and postpartum doula serving the metro Detroit community. Her own breastfeeding experience sparked her desire to become an IBCLC leading her to complete the Henry Ford Lactation Consultant Program. Amy is currently employed with WIC and as a staff IBCLC at a local birthing hospital.
Amy is a Detroit native, wife and mother of three who has joined SEMI with the hope of normalizing natural-term breastfeeding in her community by providing evidence-based support, as well as culturally respectful lactation care to women of color whose voices are often unheard in the breastfeeding realm.
Amy was inspired to pursue a career in birth work after hearing multiple accounts of Black women leaving their partners and children behind due to hospital negligence. In order to do something to change the narrative, she became a birth and postpartum doula serving the metro Detroit community. Her own breastfeeding experience sparked her desire to become an IBCLC leading her to complete the Henry Ford Lactation Consultant Program. Amy is currently employed with WIC and as a staff IBCLC at a local birthing hospital.
Amy is a Detroit native, wife and mother of three who has joined SEMI with the hope of normalizing natural-term breastfeeding in her community by providing evidence-based support, as well as culturally respectful lactation care to women of color whose voices are often unheard in the breastfeeding realm.
Samirah (Stacy) Muhsin is an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant who completed her training through Henry Ford Lactation College in 2021 but has been actively involved in birth and lactation work for over 15 years. She was previously employed by Wayne County WIC as a staff IBCLC and State of Michigan WIC as the metro-Detroit Regional Lactation Consultant, where she assisted with training for Breastfeeding Peer Counselors as well as other Birthworkers around the state. Samirah currently assists families in meeting their lactation goals as a consultant for a virtual breastfeeding support platform and through her private practice, Family Whey Contemporary.
She enjoys providing breastfeeding support, education and resources to families during the vulnerable time of pregnancy and postpartum. Samirah is a common contact point within her community, offering infant feeding classes, in-person and telehealth lactation consults, volunteering as a mentor with the Detroit Health Departments’ Sisterfriend Program and facilitator for the Your Good Village Espresso Milk Collective. Her volunteer work gives her the opportunity to support programs that impact societal change in the community by addressing Black maternal/ infant health outcomes and the racial disparities in Black breastfeeding rates.
Samirah breastfed all 6 of her children and is a proud GiGi to 2 breastfed grandchildren.
She enjoys providing breastfeeding support, education and resources to families during the vulnerable time of pregnancy and postpartum. Samirah is a common contact point within her community, offering infant feeding classes, in-person and telehealth lactation consults, volunteering as a mentor with the Detroit Health Departments’ Sisterfriend Program and facilitator for the Your Good Village Espresso Milk Collective. Her volunteer work gives her the opportunity to support programs that impact societal change in the community by addressing Black maternal/ infant health outcomes and the racial disparities in Black breastfeeding rates.
Samirah breastfed all 6 of her children and is a proud GiGi to 2 breastfed grandchildren.
Renee Pearson is an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant with extensive expertise in community breastfeeding support, training breastfeeding peer counselors and community-based doulas, as well as mentoring future IBCLCs in Metro Detroit. She holds a Bachelors degree in Health Services Administration from University of Detroit-Mercy and is a Certified Lactation Educator and Community Health Worker.
Renee has been an invaluable resource to Detroit area families for over 20 years, through her work with the EMU Extension Breastfeeding Peer Counselor program and WIC, as well as 10 years of volunteer service with BMBFA and her current position as a hospital-based lactation consultant with Henry Ford Health and owner of Favor Community Services, a lactation and doula services private practice.
She is a board member of Women Intercessors Showing Empathy (W.I.S.E.) and Gospel Fellowship Christian Ministries and Secretary on the SEMI Board of Directors.
Renee has served diligently as a member of Southeast Michigan IBCLCs of Color since its inception, using her skills & knowledge to help grow the organization and build relationships with the community
The married mom of two and grandmother of two loves to sing, travel and spend time with her family.
Renee has been an invaluable resource to Detroit area families for over 20 years, through her work with the EMU Extension Breastfeeding Peer Counselor program and WIC, as well as 10 years of volunteer service with BMBFA and her current position as a hospital-based lactation consultant with Henry Ford Health and owner of Favor Community Services, a lactation and doula services private practice.
She is a board member of Women Intercessors Showing Empathy (W.I.S.E.) and Gospel Fellowship Christian Ministries and Secretary on the SEMI Board of Directors.
Renee has served diligently as a member of Southeast Michigan IBCLCs of Color since its inception, using her skills & knowledge to help grow the organization and build relationships with the community
The married mom of two and grandmother of two loves to sing, travel and spend time with her family.
Kendria Miller is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), Registered Nurse (RN), and full-spectrum doula. Along with being the owner of New Moon Doula & Lactation Services, LLC, she also holds a position as a labor and delivery nurse in the Metro Detroit area.
Kendria’s calling to birth work was revealed very early in her life and in 2021 she decided to build a business around the perinatal support, education, and resources that she had informally provided her community for years. Despite her full-spectrum training, Kendria’s passions are postpartum support, lactation education, and perinatal mental health. She is a trained prenatal and postpartum yoga instructor and holistic care is at the core of the all the services she provides.
Kendria is a Lansing native, wife, and mother of four children who were all breastfed. She enjoys reading, public speaking, listening to music, and trying new foods. She joined SEMI to positively impact lactation outcomes of Black families through education and wrap-around community support.
Kendria’s calling to birth work was revealed very early in her life and in 2021 she decided to build a business around the perinatal support, education, and resources that she had informally provided her community for years. Despite her full-spectrum training, Kendria’s passions are postpartum support, lactation education, and perinatal mental health. She is a trained prenatal and postpartum yoga instructor and holistic care is at the core of the all the services she provides.
Kendria is a Lansing native, wife, and mother of four children who were all breastfed. She enjoys reading, public speaking, listening to music, and trying new foods. She joined SEMI to positively impact lactation outcomes of Black families through education and wrap-around community support.
Latrina Harris is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), certified birth and postpartum doula, Community Health Worker (CHW), birth assistant, and Certified Mental Health First Aider with years of experience supporting families through pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum.
Her passion for this work began with the birth of her first child, inspiring her to help families navigate their unique journeys. She specializes in breastfeeding support, birth assistance, and maternal mental health. A wife and mother of four (3 bio & 1 bonus) Latrina is dedicated to empowering families to achieve their birthing and parenting goals. Serving Metro Detroit and surrounding areas as a hospital-based IBCLC and through her private practice, Magical Milk & Friendz, she is committed to fostering healthier, more confident beginnings for parents and babies alike.
Latrina joined SEMI because she was impressed by the impactful work the organization does. She is excited about contributing to the mission and growing within such a dedicated community of sisterhood.
Her passion for this work began with the birth of her first child, inspiring her to help families navigate their unique journeys. She specializes in breastfeeding support, birth assistance, and maternal mental health. A wife and mother of four (3 bio & 1 bonus) Latrina is dedicated to empowering families to achieve their birthing and parenting goals. Serving Metro Detroit and surrounding areas as a hospital-based IBCLC and through her private practice, Magical Milk & Friendz, she is committed to fostering healthier, more confident beginnings for parents and babies alike.
Latrina joined SEMI because she was impressed by the impactful work the organization does. She is excited about contributing to the mission and growing within such a dedicated community of sisterhood.