Joy, Power, and Black Motherhood: Lessons We Carry
This Mother’s Day, we’re honoring Black women who showed us that motherhood could be a site of joy, power, and legacy.
To mother while Black is to build joy into a world that never handed it to you—and pass it on with open arms. Today, I want to celebrate historic Black mothers — not just for their sacrifices, but for the abundance they created through love, laughter, music, and legacy.
Toni Morrison, in one of her most iconic interviews with Oprah, reminded us that the most radical thing we can give a child is our delight.
“When a kid walks in the room… does your face light up? That’s what they’re looking for.”
This quote has since become a powerful reminder of how small, loving gestures shape children’s self-worth. For Morrison, love was not abstract — it was in the way we show up, again and again.
Audre Lorde wrote deeply about motherhood. In Sister Outsider, she reflected:
“I give the most strength to my children by being willing to risk myself for what I believe in.”
For Lorde, motherhood and activism were inseparable. She didn’t shy away from the complexity of raising Black children in a racist world — but she also insisted that mothering could be a radical, creative, and even joyful act.
And then there’s Coretta Scott King, who once said:
“Struggle is a never-ending process. Freedom is never really won. You earn it and win it in every generation.”
Her devotion to her children was deeply tied to her devotion to justice — and she saw motherhood as an engine of social transformation. Through her children, she passed down the fight.
These women didn’t just raise children. They raised generations. And they remind us that motherhood — when rooted in love, culture, and resistance — can be a site of extraordinary creativity.
This Mother's Day, may we honor the joy of Black motherhood. The kind that sings lullabies in freedom songs. The kind that nourishes minds and movements.
If this resonated with you, I invite you to explore how historic Black women continue to shape our world in my new digital workbook — available now for pre-order. It’s full of stories, insights, and lessons we weren’t taught in school.
→ Pre-order the digital workbook here
→ Watch the companion YouTube video
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Because Black women’s stories — past and present — should never be footnotes.
with care,
