Welcome to a new hub of Black Motherhood! In this space, I’d love to get know you and motherhood from your view. It’s different for all of us. In the meantime, allow me to share my story with you. Cool?
Growing up I was surrounded by people that look like me. I was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. I grew up in the 80s and it was a veritable chocolate city. My classes were filled with Tamika, Tanisha, Keisha and LaTonya. Their names clear markers of the time we were growing up in. After high school, spurred by the influence of “A Different World”, I attended and graduated from a black university. I had no idea then how different the lives of my kids would be.
When Issa Rae said she was rooting for everybody black, she was speaking for so many of us, myself included. I am and have always been hard core when it comes to my folks. Fast forward to my journey of motherhood and my kids are in a completely different reality.
Career + Community
We live in Southern California where they are always one of maybe two black kids in their classes if they are lucky. We used to live in an all black neighborhood and we felt like it balanced out the lack of color they saw at school. Then came a career offer that couldn’t be refused and we ended up moving to a part of Southern California where they are barely any black people. Thankfully, we attend a black church not too far away and we try to find other pockets of color because our kids (and us) need to see reflections of ourselves. It’s rough.
What I’ve found is that we’re not alone in this. Many of us have moved for the sake of career and found ourselves in spaces where our hue is rare. My search for pockets of black folks prompted me to create a pocket of my own. That’s where the Black Mom Squad comes in. This is a safe space for us to share our ups, downs, joys and culture with people who get it. There is a whole other set of rules to motherhood when you’re a black mom that other people don’t have to live by. The talk we have to have with our kids is just one glaring example of that.
Come through, sis and hang out with your squad. This space is for us and by us. We want to hear your stories!