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Scholarship concerning mothers in higher education reveals that women who had children during doctoral studies are discriminated against at a much higher rate than men. Beyond PhD attainment, Women of Color continue to face institutional inequity-women who have children within five years of receiving their doctoral degree are 20-25% less likely to receive tenure-thus emerging scholarship on the experiences and activism of mothers in higher education is a necessary counternarrative and catalyst for change. Mothers of Color in Academia (MOCA) began as a student collective aiming to build systemic policies that address the unique needs of Mothers of Color and allies at a university. Our existential refusal to remain unseen informs our on-campus movement to demand and reclaim space as maternal activists. Toward that end, this manuscript delineates our genesis as MOCA and the kinship bonds that grew out of our activism. Finally, we offer reflections on our maternal activism and the tangible successes brought about within the corporate university climate.

The benefits of breastfeeding for mother and baby are strongly supported by research. However, lactating parents who return to school or work soon after delivery face many barriers to continued breastfeeding. This article presents a student-led initiative to support lactation at a large public university that emerged from advocacy efforts of student mothers of color. The socioecological model was used as a framework to understand and address the multifaceted influences on breastfeeding practices. Project activities included providing breastfeeding education to lactating parents and their partners, measuring availability and accessibility of lactation spaces, improving lactation spaces, connecting university stakeholders, and strengthening university lactation policies. The project achieved the following outcomes: formation of a stakeholder group with members across campus departments, improvement in accessibility and appropriateness of lactation spaces, provision of breastfeeding services through workshops and one-on-one appointments with lactation educators, and creation and dissemination of an online toolkit outlining parents’ lactation rights and support available on campus. Comprehensive lactation support at universities is essential to enhance educational and professional equity for women and to promote postpartum and infant health. Throughout the project implementation, the team learned many lessons that can help guide similar university initiatives.

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