Do We Love Black Mothers Enough?
May 13, 2014Every Mother’s Day, there’s no lack of flowers, gifts, and various luxuries bestowed on women who have raised children. Many of us take special care to appreciate those who cared and provided for us when we were younger. We honor their sacrifice and express our gratitude. While we show our own mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and loved ones how much we cherish them, we must ask if we love black mothers enough.
A well-known African proverb reads, “It takes a village to raise a child.” It also takes a village for Black women to have healthy pregnancies and deliver healthy babies. Like the Strong Families Mamas Day Campaign asserts, becoming a mother and parenting are not just individual undertakings. It is a journey that is influenced by a number of factors including our families, communities, and society — our village.