Do you remember the moment you became a mom?
Photographed by Erik Skaar in 2016, twin baby boys in tow.
Was it the moment you realized you were responsible for the life growing inside you? Or the moment you held your baby in your arms for the first time? Or the moment you heard ‘Mama’? Whichever moment it was, and there may have been many, it was — and continues to be — life changing.
I AM MAMA — the original words by Kierra, @HeyBelovedMama, struck me in a way that explained so much of what I felt I needed to hear right now. Please check out Kierra's beautiful words here. It is so powerful and so drowning and relatable because it speaks to every single one of us Mamas to the core. If you haven’t read it yet, stop everything and do it now. It’s such a beautiful reminder of how the title “Mama” holds such a great deal of responsibility, pride and power.
When I think about how hard it is to grapple with all the pain and suffering our Black community is going through and when I obsess over the best (perfect?) way to help, and where to put my energy and efforts, I think about what I would do if it were my own kid on the other end of the suffering, and then “what to do” starts to make more sense. Our experiences connect us, and motherhood can be a powerful (common ground) equalizer, let’s call on that.
And so, as I continue to process all of this — most of which is not new, but I think it feels different and more hopeful this time — I remind myself that long term change takes long term habits and actions that follow suit. And just like motherhood you figure it out as you go along, ways to Be Bold, to Speak Up, to Protect, to Comfort, to Listen, to See, to Learn, to Teach, and to Heal, just like the words from Kierra’s poem.
I promise to continue to be one of the Mamas we all need during this time and as we build the future that children of every color deserves, and I look forward to being part of this movement with all the strong Mamas in this wonderful community.
Let’s keep trying. Let’s keep learning. Let’s keep listening. Let’s keep showing up and fighting for change 🖤
xx, Danielle