Karlesha Thurman (pictured) had no idea that a simple, yet beautiful photo from her college graduation would turn into a national conversation over breastfeeding and the harsh criticism of those who choose to do it.
The 25-year-old mother was at her graduation ceremony at California State University, in Long Beach, May 22 with her then-3-month-old daughter, Aaliyah, when she opened the top of her gown and began breastfeeding her daughter after she crossed the stage to receive her degree. A former classmate sitting in front of her asked if he could take a photo, and she agreed.
“No one said anything,” Thurman told NewsOne. “They all thought she was so cute.”
It wasn’t until Saturday when she was scrolling down the Facebook page “Black Women Do Breastfeed” that she saw an interesting status update that encouraged her to post the photo of herself breastfeeding in the comments thread. The administrator of the page, Shlonda Smith, reposted the photo hours later, and it was shared hundreds of times that day alone. It was the only place where Thurman posted the photo. She never posted it on Instagram or Twitter.
