Answering the Call or Faking It to Make It: Let’s really talk about Representation

Diversity is defined by Webster as:  the state of having people who are different races or who have different cultures in a group or organization. For many diversity is a big goal in business and they seek to make sure they cater to all kinds of people, with different needs, and from different ethnic backgrounds. In the natural parenting world the struggle to be seen, heard, or taken seriously as a person of color doesn’t happen as easily. It rarely occurs without protest and often times that protest forces brands to answer the call, to answer the question: Are y’all diverse or nah?

Black Women Do Cloth Diaper was started by a mom who wondered where her community was in the cloth diaper world. Where was the melanin? In cloth diaper advertisement the same thing was shown over and over to consumers that gave a stark white image of natural parenting. A blonde hair, blue eyed baby, mouth wide open in a toothless grin with a brightly colored diaper on their bums.

Many of you probably smiled when you heard that example, sounds pretty cute right? The issue is when you have a black or brown baby with curly hair and brown eyes and you can’t seem to find a single photo, advertisement, or trace of yourself in a brand yet you spend your money with them, you feel a sense of disconnect or a lack of a home in a world you enjoy. So you pose a challenge, you ask the question:

Where’s the Melanin?

This question has been posed by the community and owner Donna Smith of Black Women Do Cloth Diaper. With almost 20,000 followers across social media platforms many brands have stepped up to the plate and the challenge has been met with support. But there has also been some opposition, some unwillingness to change, and some clearly visible shoddy PR work.

CottonBabies

This Company is a clear example of hearing a call and answering it. Jen Labit an ally and a friend, not only diversified her advertisement, but was the first and only brand to create a cloth diaper honoring the bravery and heroism of a former slave, Equiano.

Abby's Lane

Stephanie Daniels is a cloth diaper retailer that has not only raised money for the water crisis in Flint, Michigan disproportionately hurting black men, women, and children, but also has met the call to diversify her brand. She has become a true friend to the BWDCD family and holds a special place in our community.

When Black Women Do Cloth Diaper issued the call to diversify marketing in cloth diapering over two years ago, MANY brands recognized, reevaluated, and rose to the occasion. There has been a very visible change in the images you see now in comparison to before. BWDCD has documented this shift by featuring the images of children and people of color put forth by any brand, with a concentration on the most popular, USA based brands.

While some brands have been consistent, others have not. While some brands have been open to dialogue, others have not. 

These four businesses are the front running Black Owned WAHM Cloth Diaper businesses in the industry. They bring different styles, offer different products, and provide the black community with an automatic answer:

FOR US BY US !

Poodah Baby

Lovely Cloth

MonkeeBumz

Sunshine Fabric And Designs

Resistance comes with every struggle and the response to the concerns of customers, supporters, and advocates has been exclusively negative for one company. Instead of answering the call, they’ve ignored, shifted blame, made excuses, labeled others as problematic, angry, abusive, and hateful and then launched an all out PR war to cover up shoddy business practices that glorified making excuses instead of promoting inclusiveness.

Let it be known that the BWDCD community, allies, and supporters see the truth. We see what is real and who is really for us. We see the dismissals, we see the cover ups, and we know the truth. The colors of cloth diapers are vast and a marvel to see, but let it be known that we want representation. We don’t want a cover up. We aren’t interested in a smear campaign. We know that you see the colors, the ones you choose and choose not to represent. As a community, as a brand, as a people, we see you, and choose to rise above.

BLACK WOMEN DO CLOTH DIAPER. Never forget that. It’s those brands who stand behind us, those who represent the black babies, the brown babies, the yellow babies, and those who stand unrepresented in advertising that will be supported by us. They will see the color that we know you care the most about, they will see OUR GREEN.

Those Damn China Cheapies – “Those Cloth Diapers Will Kill Ya Kid, You Know ?”

So You're Ok With Calling Affordable Cloth Diapers "China Cheapies"? Let's Have A Chat, Mkay?

     Sigh, it pains me to even type those words. BUT, for the sake of this conversation- I will.

When I started cloth diapering, like many perspective or new cloth diapering parents, I went in full research mode. I had a combination of articles online, social media groups, pages, and people local to me who used cloth that I used to gather information. It was crazy overwhelming. I was lost in a whirlwind of systems, brands, materials, health, safety, washing, etc. and I am, by nature, a simplifier.

Yes, yes I just made that up. I make things simple for myself. I take out what isn’t pertinent information and keep it as cut and dry as possible. That was my approach to cloth diapering initially. I decided to weed through what seemed extra to get to the core. 

The conclusion of my initial research was:

1. Diapers manufactured in China and any Asian countries were dangerous due to the possibility of lead poisoning. These diapers were commonly referred to as “China Cheapies”.

2. Diapers that costed under $20 were not going to last me and probably had lead in them because they weren’t made in the USA.

3. If I wanted the cute prints and “fancy” systems (AIO, AI2s, etc.) I’d have to break the bank.

4. You needed a special cloth diaper detergent to wash them.

5. You must sacrifice your first born in a special cloth diaper ritual that involved staying virtually linked to websites to obtain limited edition cloth diaper prints –or you just weren’t doing it right.

6. Compliancy was a BIG DEAL. Let me simplify what compliancy is: The US Safety Authority sets rules- you must follow said rules and then you present this to them and they deem you ‘COMPLIANT’.

7. Buying used diapers was basically the same as snatching a can of soda from a stranger who just slobbered all over it and taking a few sips.

8. Did I mention that diapers from outside of the USA, specifically China and other Asian countries, were DANGEROUS and you were a BAD PARENT who didn’t care about your child or your country if you dared purchase them? **insert horror movie music**

     It was a headache. No, seriously. I felt like my head was going to explode and knew that this couldn’t be cloth diapering in a nutshell. So, I did MORE research and talked to the person who introduced me to cloth. She, another military wife who lived in the same neighborhood, laughed until tears were coming down her face.

Her exact words, “Girl, those people are cray. Welcome to the crunchy world.”

She proceeded to explain that most of what I would find was BS and propaganda (Which I kinda figured anyway) and that cloth diapering was not as hard or costly as it was made out to be. 

My additional research found that:

     Cloth Diapers could be as inexpensive as $3 each. I could use the same detergent that I use on my clothes on my cloth diapers and they could go in the dryer on high. I didn’t have to sacrifice my 7-year-old to have cute prints and I didn’t have to spend $20 or more per diaper either. And lastly, cloth diapers purchased from China wouldn’t kill my kids and devastate the US economy.

I jumped in head first by purchasing some used diapers from that same mama- an assortment of Alva Baby diapers, Bumgenius, Charlie Banana, etc.

She had mentioned that they had been “stripped” (had no clue what that entailed at the time).

I bleached them a few times before we used them and we got started.

I continued to stay around forums and reading up on modern cloth diapering --

And it bothered me that I barely saw any other Black parents in these spaces. I was also bothered that I rarely, if ever, saw Black babies and parents used as models by companies and brands. This was the catalyst behind the birth of Black Women Do Cloth Diaper.

There was also something else nagging at me--- This “China Cheapie” term. I never quite felt comfortable seeing it used or using it myself. It was simple to me:

Not all parents can afford to spend more than $5 on a cloth diapers. Why should I call their purchase with their hard-earned money cheap? Why does this term include China? What is the point of that--- that’s some racist, elitist, classist, BS right there? NO, it’s not about being politically correct, it’s simply about not being an A-hole. If someone decided to call diapers made by a Black owned brand “nigge* nappies’, people would generally be outraged. Or would they? Hmmmm.makes you think. Why is this term so widely accepted??
I thought about it and decided I wouldn’t participate in the use of that term, I would make sure that I made my views on the term clear, and I wouldn’t have anything to do with any business or individual who continued to use the term.
How hard is it to say “inexpensive diapers” or “cheap diapers” (if you MUST affix a value)?

As I participated in the forums more and gathered more information about diapers manufactured in China---

I realized that MOST popular diaper brands in at least one aspect, were manufactured in Asia or outside of the United States. These companies state that they keep close watch on their factories to ensure safety of the product and ethical treatment of those working in said factories. Ethics is another angle here in the fight against cloth diapers based in Asian countries.


     So, let’s just put it all out there:

·         Fact – Diaper brands based in China have stolen designs and it is impossible for the US Based company to take legal action. I believe THIS is the major basis for the dislike of the Asia based cloth diaper. They are bad for US based business.

·         Fact – Diaper brands based in China are inexpensive. Their cost for supplies and manufacturing are lower. They can produce materials quicker and it costs less. Now, the “quality” is different from USA based manufacturing. This is just like the difference between Fruit Loops and Fruity O’s. That’s it. The cloth diaper functions the same, and depending on several variables, will last the same amount of time. Case and point, I personally have had major USA brands that have delaminated and been defective (broken snaps). I have also had Alva brand cloth diapers that have lasted several years and used on MULTIPLE children in MULTIPLE families. I have also had major USA brand diapers that have lasted years, and diapers manufactured in China that have delaminated after a handful of washes. Warranties are KEY! Most diaper companies, here and in Asia, have warranties on their products.

     Now, I don’t want to, but let’s talk ethics. That angle is often used when advising US consumers against buying cloth diaper products from Asian based companies. Deep Sigh.
As an African American woman in the United States who knows that there are employment and wage statistics that are the lowest among Black people in America, the disproportionate murder of people of color by law enforcement, the fact that poverty disproportionately affects people of color, the subpar education system in neighborhoods that are predominately minority; having a conversation about people working in sweat shops for pennies to make cloth diapers is almost laughable. Who am I to DARE critique the ethics of work environment in another Country that I do not live in?  The only thing that sets US based diaper brands who manufacture in China apart, is their word that their brand maintains ethical business practices in someone else’s Country. They travel to these locations and can fully attest that they are better than the people of the culture in the region that they are doing business.

Asian families must work, eat, and live just like anyone else. There are greedy corporation heads right here in the U.S.  There is a continual FIGHT for living wages right here in the U.S. 

Who is fighting for these Asian families? No, who is Fighting? Who is going to their government on their behalf? Who is standing in solidarity, not simply by engaging in conversations to stop consumers from buying, but to force change in the arena they claim they are so disgusted by?

I assume they would rather these companies just shut down, putting those families out of work altogether. Or do they even care that much?

The use of the term “ethics” when discussing cloth diaper manufacturing in China has simply been a form of pandering.  Yes, I said it, pandering. White America LOVES a good ol’ “We’re better than those foreigners. We’re safer, cleaner, our morals are better, they treat their people horribly so we’re going to set up shop IN THEIR COUNTRY and show ‘em how it’s done” but then sell to our good ol’ wholesome precious American families while getting a HUGE profit on what it costs to manufacture in that ASIAN COUNTRY. ‘Murica.

Lastly, lets touch on the possibility of lead poisoning. I am sitting here again, rolling my eyes. The same people who are concerned about THE POSSIBILITY of lead in cloth diapers manufactured in subpar conditions in Asia have been SILENT about the Flint Michigan water poisoning. There isn’t a possibility of lead in the water in Flint and other American cities, it’s REALITY. There has NEVER been a confirmed case of a cloth diaper manufactured in China by Alva, Sunbaby, THX, Happy Flute, or Kawaii having lead in it.

I can personally attest to the fact that Alva Baby, the most popular China based cloth diaper brand, has had compliancy testing done and has had a USA based warehouse in California for at least 2 years. But Alva’s compliancy testing has not been good enough for the U.S. based cloth community to accept them.

     These cloth diaper brands based in Asia that have been outcast and black listed by American companies have done nothing wrong but offer American consumers who don’t fit the “mainstream bill” an affordable cloth diapering option, while allowing these families to MAINTAIN their DIGNITY. Sure, covers and prefolds are inexpensive. It might not be the most convenient option for a family. Sure, there are cloth diaper banks. Those banks are in place to service families in NEED. Diaper banks send you what they have. You don't get to be choosy. Some diaper banks send you the basic of the basic that they have to offer. Don't get me wrong, there is ABSOLUTELY nothing wrong with that. A family with $100 to spend may not be in need. Why shouldn't they have the option to get the most bang for their buck while choosing the cute prints and different systems?

     "China Cheapies" is a disgustingly racist and discriminatory slur. The continued use of the term "China Cheapies" is a sign of the progress in making cloth more acceptable and accessible, or lack thereof. The use of this terminology shouldn’t exist in a world where many families need to cloth diaper because their next meal, their next bill, and the livelihood of their family may depend on it.