It is with bittersweet hearts that we share the news that the Richmond Breastfeeding Coalition has officially dissolved. While their name may be removed from the Breastfeeding Family Friendly Communities (BFFC) website, their legacy will never disappear. Richmond was one of the first communities we looked to for inspiration when shaping our own approach to breastfeeding-friendly systems change—and their decades of work have helped lay the foundation for a national movement.
Under the leadership of Leslie Lytle, the Richmond Breastfeeding Coalition—through partnerships like #RVABreastfeeds and Nurture RVA—championed policies, built relationships, and led public health efforts that made Richmond a safer, more supportive place for breastfeeding and chestfeeding families. They did the quiet, powerful work of shifting culture: supporting Black breastfeeding families, making local businesses more inclusive, training health professionals, and creating joyful public spaces to celebrate human milk feeding.
We hope—and trust—that their impact is permanently embedded in Richmond’s DNA. Their work lives on in every breastfeeding-friendly sign still hanging in a shop window, every health department policy shaped by their advocacy, and every parent who found a little more confidence because someone in Richmond made them feel seen and supported.
We are so grateful to the Nurture RVA Board of Directors and especially to Leslie, who has agreed to stay on as a contractor to help the organization through this transition. This moment marks the end of an era, but it is not the end of the story.
To Richmond: thank you for everything. You helped shape us. You helped shape this movement. We will carry your example forward with pride and deep respect.
With love and solidarity,
Breastfeeding Family Friendly Communities