Black Breastfeeding Caucus – Chair Profiles
Black Breastfeeding Caucus – Chair Profiles
Elizabeth Gray Bayne, MPH, MFA
Communications Committee Co-Chair/ Steering Committee
Elizabeth Bayne is an award-winning filmmaker with a focus on social impact producing. She is committed to using film to tell unexplored narratives that promote health,environmental and social justice issues in underserved communities.
Elizabeth was born in Washington, D.C. and raised three hours south in Hampton Roads, VA – the home of NASA and Langley Air Force Base. In this environment, she longed to incorporate her love of art with her interests in science. But it wasn’t until after college that she got her first exposure to the motion picture industry when a fellowship with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency brought her to Los Angeles to watch Joe Pytka direct a PSA for the agency. She immediately fell in love with the medium, moved to Los Angeles and enrolled in film school.
With an MPH from Yale and MFA from the ArtCenter College of Design, Elizabeth successfully bridged the worlds of art and science to produce content for clients including MIT Media Lab, the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, the LA County Department of Public Health, and A.U.M. Films and Media. Her PSAs, documentary and narrative projects have appeared on ABC, the Smithsonian Channel and Aspire TV.
Elizabeth is currently in post-production on two grant-funded documentaries slated for 2020.
Kiddada Green, M.A.T
Steering Committee
Kiddada Green is the founding executive director of Black Mothers’ Breastfeeding Association (BMBFA). In this role, she is responsible for the organization’s vision, administration, operations and program development. Before fully transitioning into her role with BMBFA, Kiddada spent much of her early career with Detroit Public Schools. She often attributes the development of her leadership to her years with DPS, where she served as both a literacy coach and instructional specialist.
As a community organizer, Kiddada advocates for racial justice in maternal child health. She has spearheaded the formation of the Black Breastfeeding Caucus and is the co-creator of both Mommy-Friendly Detroit and Black Breastfeeding Week. Kiddada serves on several committees and special projects including the US Breastfeeding Committee COVID-19 Infant Young Child Feeding Constellation and MI Department of Health & Human Services Maternal Infant Strategy Group.
A thought leader and field builder – Kiddada put forth recommendations for The U.S. Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding and the State of Michigan Breastfeeding Plan. Her work has been published internationally in Breastfeeding Medicine and she has been featured in several noteworthy publications, including Ebony Magazine, Womens eNews and The Root.
An avid learner, Kiddada is a proud esteemed member of the inaugural class of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s Community Leadership Network Fellowship Program. She is a social entrepreneur, successfully completing a business accelerator fellowship with Ascension Health. In 2020, Kiddada launched Ask Kiddada, a leadership consulting firm.
A Spartan and a Grizzly, Kiddada holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Michigan State University and a Master’s Degree in the Art of Teaching from Oakland University. She is a proud and devoted wife, mother and advocate.
Jade Harris, MPH
Steering Committee
Jade Harris is a public health professional with over 10 years of experience in the healthcare field. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Wayne State University and a Master of Public Health in Health Policy and Management from Kent State University. Being an advocate of breastfeeding she has breastfed all her children and understood the healthy start it could give her children. It wasn’t until she gained employment with BMBFA, that she understood the disparities that existed within the breastfeeding community and she made a vow to help the breastfeeding cause whenever she is needed.
Jade is a loving wife to Andre, has three sons William, Carter, and Louis, with baby Laila on the way.
Angela Johnson, Ph.D.
Research Committee Co-chair/ Steering Committee
Dr. Angela Johnson is an applied social scientist recognized nationally as a research scholar,advocate, and published author in the area of maternal health and breastfeeding disparities.
Dr. Johnson serves two divisions at Michigan Medicine: Department of Community Health Services,Program for Multicultural Health and Zero to Thrive team within the Women and Infant Mental Health Program at Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Johnson leads the development of education, training, and research programs designed to reduce racial and other social inequities in using culturally responsive strategies and in collaboration with a host of national, state, and local, partners.
Her research is community-focused and designed to highlight psychosocial risk factors and inform interventions that effectively support African American women and their families. Results from her work are published in several outlets including online articles, national and international peer-reviewed journals. Her research findings have informed outcomes in maternal-child health programs and policy. Johnson Co-chairs the BBC Research Committee.
Dr. Johnson trained as an (NIH-funded) post-doctoral research fellow at the Institute for Clinical Health Research (MICHR) at the University of Michigan (Go Blue!). She earned her Ph.D. as well as her Masters’ degree in Sociology and Urban Affairs from Michigan State University (Go Spartans!), and her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Amherst College in Massachusetts.
Finally, and most important of all, Dr. Johnson is the proud mother of three: Khai, Olivia, and Kaleb and happy wife to one: Oliver Edward Johnson.
Anayah Sangodele-Ayoka, MSEd, MSN, CNM
Steering Committee
Anayah Sangodele-Ayoka is a nurse-midwife and innovative culture worker leveraging digital media to impact health and parenting. Clinically, she cares for women across the life span at an independent birth center. Anayah also writes, speaks, and consults with organizations on using social media to deepen community building and leverage social change. Anayah is co-editor of Free to Breastfeed: Voices from Black Mothers (Praeclarus Press) and a consultant for MomsRising. Her work has been written about on Salon.com, HuffPost, Ms. Magazine , Mater mea, MyBrownBaby and ThinkProgress. She is a wife and mother to two curious and agile boys and a graduate of Yale University and Vassar College.
Tina Sherman
Advocacy Committee Co-chair/ Steering Committee
Tina Sherman is a Campaign Director for the Breastfeeding and Paid Leave Campaigns at MomsRising. She was recently elected to serve on the Board of Directors of the United States Breastfeeding Committee. Tina has dedicated her professional life to supporting and empowering moms and families. Tina has served as a legislative aide in the United States Senate has worked with several child and women’s advocacy organizations and is a certified birth doula. With formal training in public policy and a heart is in serving and supporting women and families, Tina is committed to ensuring that public policies reflect the needs of real people and meet women where they are.
Tina and her husband JP are raising four boys ranging from 5 to 14 years, including 10-year-old twins. She is active in her community serving on the Town Planning Board and the County Women’s Commission.
Janina Daniels , MHSA,CPSTI,CWC
Advocacy Committee Co-chair
Ms. Janina Daniels currently serves as the Program Manager for Atlanta Healthy Start, with the Center for Black Women’s Wellness (CBWW). Just before this position, she was the Program Director for the Jackson – Hinds Comprehensive Health Center’s Healthy Start Program, in Jackson, MS. Formerly, she was a CDC Public Health Advisor assigned to the Tennessee Department of Health Immunization Program, she planned, managed, and implemented daily operations for the state immunization program; evaluated all 5 program area components while conducting and supporting statewide activities, and managed and oversaw the state operations and vaccine budgets of over $70 million dollars annually. She began her CDC career as a 2008 Public Health Prevention Service (PHPS) Fellow. As a PHPS Specialist Fellow on a two-year field assignment, Ms.Daniels coordinated and assisted with the development and implementation of the Enhanced HIV Prevention Plan (ECHPP) for the Dallas County area as Interim HIV Prevention Manager from the recommendations of the President’s National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) and CDC’s Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention 3-year demonstration project. She also served as Project Coordinator for Dallas area HIV/AIDS-specific community-based organizations and AIDS services organizations by providing technical assistance and capacity building with grant-related activities; Served on the DCHHS Ryan White Planning Council (Planning and Priorities Committee). In 2019, and Janina became a Certified Wellness Coach for her clients and coworkers. Janina was selected as a participant for the Satcher Health Leadership Institute 2020 Community Health Leadership Program Cohort. Janina has a Masters in Health Services Administration from Mississippi College and a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from Dillard University. But her most treasured achievement is being a proud volleyball mom to her beautiful, brainy daughter, Janiya Clair.
Renae Green, IBCLC,CLC
Direct Service Committee Co-chair
Renae Green manages and developed Healthy Start, Inc.’s Center for Urban Breastfeeding program initiative. Renae developed Healthy Start, Inc. a public health organization whose mission is to improve maternal and child health and to reduce poor birth outcomes and infant mortality in Allegheny County. Healthy Start Center for Urban Breastfeeding (HSCUB) seeks to improve breastfeeding initiation and duration rates for black mothers in Allegheny County and normalize breastfeeding for black families by providing on-demand, 24/7, telephone, virtual, and in-home consultations at no cost. Renae’s duties include program management and development, curriculum building, direct service and support, and strategic engagement. Renae’s passion for breastfeeding began as she experienced challenges when navigating her own breastfeeding journey. Renae wondered how many women, who looked like her, shared similar experiences. Renae completed the Healthy Children Project’s Lactation Counselor training course in March 2017 and is finishing up her last semester at Union Institute and University where she is obtaining a bachelor’s degree in Maternal Child Health: Human Lactation. Renae completed her internship and direct support hours under Robert Monteverde, RN, BSN, IBCLC, also known as “Booby Bob.” Renae has made a commitment to change the culture of feeding black babies. When Renae is not working, she enjoys spending time with family, sharing laughs with friends, quilting, and trying new foods.
Nasheeda Pollard, MPH,CLC
Direct Service Committee Co-chair
Nasheeda Pollard is a public health professional and a Certified LactationCounselor. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Masters of Public Health in Health Education and Promotion from Benedictine University. Her career in public health began more than seven years ago as a youth nutrition educator promoting healthy eating for young children. She began working with pregnant women and families as the health educator for Camden Healthy Start, teaching pregnant, prenatal, and postpartum women critical strategies for having
healthy pregnancies. Motivated by her personal belief that each family should have access to breastfeeding support, she obtained her certification as a lactation counselor in 2016. She continues her commitment to the field of breastfeeding through her work as a Board member of the New Jersey Breastfeeding Coalition.
Joscelyn Spivey
Community & Family Committee Co-chair
I am a trained Full Spectrum Doula Childbirth Educator, Breastfeeding Counselor, yoga instructor, a passionate breastfeeding advocate and a mother of 3 and a wife. As an experienced Full Spectrum Doula, Joscelyn has provided care to women and their
families for years. My earliest experience with childbirth was having a child and moving shortly thereafter to the Azores, Portugal. The island was small and resources were not plentiful, so having a midwife, and doula was the norm in the area. I started my Doula journey after the birth of my second son in 2005, who was born 7.5 weeks early, due to Placental Abruption. At the time my husband was deployed and missed the birth. At the age of 3, he was diagnosed with Autism. I am a Student Midwife currently working on my Bachelor of Science in Midwifery. My 3rd son was born in Germany on a military base, in an area where resources were better under a program that the military calls stork-nesting, where you are given a partner, midwife, and doula to help you with your birth. At the time I was volunteering to partner and support other moms in the area. This continued my journey into becoming a doula and assisting with births. Due to my second son being autistic I developed an interest in studying vaccines, genetics and anything involving childbirth. This curiosity led me on a journey to find out my genetics and family ancestry, after much research, I discovered that much of my ancestry and family is from Cameroon, I connected with relatives, distance cousins and even great aunts and uncles in the area and found that what is lacking in both areas is medical facilities and Birthing Assistants. It is my desire that the world’s infant and maternal mortality rate decrease as the future of humanity depends upon every baby born and they all matter. While traveling to these places and learning about their cultures, I learned a great amount of Portuguese, German, Sango, Swahili, French, Spanish, and Arabic. Just enough to communicate with mothers in the area. I’d like to further my knowledge and help as many people as I can.
Marketia White, MPA
Community & Family Committee Co-chair
Marketia White, MPA is Founder/Community Advocate of a nonprofit organization called Mommies, and the D to address the lack of advocacy for teen mothers to access the resources needed to ensure self-efficiency in their motherhood and personal endeavors. With a background in teaching and nonprofit leadership, Marketia has worked with servanthood in mind. She cares deeply about the empowerment of girls and strives to bridge the gap when it comes to education and normalization of sexual and maternal health in the African American Community specifically with adolescents and teenagers. Originally, from Atlanta, GA, Marketia graduated with her Bachelors of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Business in 2014. She recently graduated with her Masters of Public Administration from Central Michigan University. Marketia is closely affiliated with the work Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere, Inc (ROSE) does want to continue her maternal health education by becoming a Certified Doula serving teen mothers and an IBCLC.