Mothering and Mother(Work) in the Times of Black Lives Matter

by Rocha, Luciane O.; Shana Calixte Pitawanakwat, Shana Shana Calixte Pitawanakwat l; Cole, Haile Eshe

• ISBN13: 9781772585322
• ISBN10: 1772585327
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2025-02-25
• Publisher: Demeter Press

Summary

Mothering and Mother(work) in the Times of Black Lives Matter is an edited collection that sprouted alongside the beginnings of the Black Lives Matter movement but seeks to root itself in the historic and ongoing fight against anti-Black, state-sanctioned violence. Utilizing research, personal narratives, poetry and art, this book explores the experience of mothering and “ motherwork” alongside these movements and efforts to protect and value Black life. Centering the voices of Black mothers, Black other mothers and Black birthing people, the collection also seeks to explore the just world that Black mothers hope to create for their futures and the futures of their families and communities.

Author Biography

She has a B.A. in Social Sciences from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and M.A. and PhD in Anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin. She specializes in African & African Diaspora Studies and Gender & Women's Studies. Her PhD dissertation, titled “ Outraged Mothering: Black Women, Racial Violence and the Power of Emotions in Rio de Janeiro’ African Diaspora," examines the activism of mothers whose lives have been affected by violence in Brazil. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor and program coordinator for the Black Studies program at Kennesaw State University. he is the Director of Health Equity at Ontario Health and has experience in the public health and mental health sectors. She has a Bachelor of Journalism from Carleton University and an M.A. and PhD (ABD) from York University. A former sessional lecturer at Thorneloe University, she focused on gender studies, embodied research, and mothering pedagogies. Following the university's closure in 2021, she became an Honorary Fellow. With over 25 years of community leadership, Shana has been recognized as one of Canadian Living Magazine’ s 40 Women Chang Haile Eshe Cole has a B.A. in Sociology and African-American Studies and a M.A. and PhD in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin. Over the years, Haile has conducted research on alternatives to incarceration for mothers and their children in both Texas and New York as well as maternal and infant mortality for Black women. She has served on the faculty at a number of academic institutions teaching courses on reproductive health, film/media and various other social justice topics. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor at Central Connecticut State University.

Table of Contents

1. Freedom Choices: Black Mothers Living in Jim Crow Protect Their Children From Anti- Black Racism And Prepare Them For Success by LaShawnDa Pittman, PhD, Alana Lim, Ayan Mohamed, Mia Schuman, Rachel Vulk, and Rina Yan 2. Ay-Yai! Black Mother Leadership and Storytelling Traditions by Stephanie Fearon 3. Conto De Cantos Chorados: Single Mothers’ Experiences by Cynthia Rachel Periera Lima 4. Motherhood in the Land of Hope by Jameka Hartley 5. Hard Questions by Traci Wint 6. Does anyone else care? Black mothering in the time of COVID and Black Lives Matter by Chelsi West 7. The Occlusive Carceral Tactics of White Womanhood by Erica Ewa-Elechi and Josh Lamers 8. “ I Beat Yo’ Ass” : Spanking in Multi-Generational Immigrant Families by Christina Santi 9. “ I am parenting Black children for the world” : Black mothers’ insights on state-sanctioned violence and the fight for Black lives by Seanna Leath, Dawn Demps, and Johari Harris 10. The revolution will be Black, Queer, and Mother-led by Pascale Ife Williams and Johnae Strong Poetry 11. “ Dear Mama” (poem) by Alexis Henderson 12. “ My Afro-Cultural Renaissance” poem by Azenia Whitaker 13. “ Thank God for Aunties” poem by Devinty Wray 14. “ Nana would pull magic from out her pocketbook” by Devinty Wray 15. “ Mama Illusion” (poem) by Toya Groves 16. “ At the March for George Floyd” poem by Toya Groves 17. “ Fires Rose” poem by Toya Groves 18. “ Soiled Bandanas” by Toya Groves 19. “ A Lesson I did Not teach” by Jameka Hartley 20. “ Known Black” by Jameka Hartley Photobook and Art 1. The Light We Carry: Interview and Photography by Heather Lynch 2. For You, Infinitely: Photography by Adriel Barnet 3. Almost Human: Photo by Haile Eshe Cole 4. Mother and Child: Art by Devinity Wray 5. Black Motherhood Photo Album (personal photos of Black motherhood from the authors/contributors)