Mamas Day: A Chronicle of Art, Love and Gratitude

May 11, 2024

ChaKiara Tucker

Mamahood is not one size fits all; mamahood is expansive. But on Mother’s Day, one of the biggest commercial holidays in the United States, most depictions of mothers often reinforce traditional ideas of family and motherhood that narrowly define one way to be a family. Images often exclude mamas based on their sexual orientation, race, income, immigration status and more. That’s why in 2011 Forward Together created “Mamas Day” to highlight our mamas. 

No matter how our work evolves, we  will always honor the mamas doing their best to create safe homes and communities for their loved ones.

We invite you to read more to learn about the origin of our Mamas Day project and how it’s evolved over the years. 

YEAR 1: 

In 2011, the first Mamas Day began as a project of the Strong Families Network, a network convened by Forward Together. This first event set the foundation that all other Mamas Days have been built on, uplifting the diversity and beauty of all forms of mamahood.  The campaign sought to reach and highlight the mamas that the Strong Families Network organizations work with — folks who are often overlooked in mainstream celebrations of Mother’s Day, including young mamas, working mamas, immigrant mamas, single mamas, incarcerated mamas and mamas struggling with substance abuse.

YEAR 2: ART AS POWER

2012 was the first year Mamas Day engaged multiple artists for the project to create eCards that people could send to the mamas in their lives. The project created a celebratory, public way to express love and appreciation to the many mamas in our lives and to the many forms mothering takes. We used powerful visual representations of the different kinds of mothers we are, representations that honored and celebrated us. 

YEAR 3: POLICY FOCUS

In 2013, the eCard campaign continued. 5,411 eCards were sent to mamas nationwide. Fifty-nine Strong Families Network partners participated and used the art to support policy campaigns like maternal health, repealing Maximum Family Grant to ensure low-income families have access to Medi-Cal and supporting the passage of the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights.

The Strong Families Network also ran a Papas Day campaign to celebrate the diversity of fatherhood.

YEARS 4 & 5: ART AS POWER

In 2014 and 2015 Mamas Day uplifted that mothering is not an individual act — it happens in community, in collaboration and in context. It is a strength of our communities that we are interdependent and utilize networks of support. The project called for us to celebrate the things that support mamas and work to change the things that make mamahood more difficult. We celebrated all families, particularly those who find it hard to see themselves reflected in mainstream media. 

YEAR 6: IMMIGRANT MAMAS, MAMAS IN DETENTION

After a difficult year for  deportation, this Mamas Day focused on immigrant mamas. This year, we collaborated with immigrant justice organizations to send cards to mamas in detention. 

YEAR 7: MUSLIM, REFUGEE AND IMMIGRANT MAMAS

In 2017, people across the nation were protesting the Muslim travel ban. This year, Mamas Day focused on showing love to Muslim and immigrant mamas. 

YEAR 8: BLACK MAMAS

In 2018, Mamas Day focused on committing to building a world where all Black mamas thrive. We worked with four core partners, Black Mamas Matter Alliance, National Network of Abortion Funds, SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective and Southern Birth Justice Network, to uplift issues like Black maternal mortality and ending the shackling of incarcerated Black mamas.

YEAR 9: MOVEMENT MAMAS

In 2019, we celebrated our movement mamas. Mamas have always fought tirelessly to reshape the world in ways that our families need, yet they haven’t always gotten the recognition and praise they deserve. The theme, Power and Flowers, reminded us that while Mamas Day is a day to shower our mamas with love and affection, it can also be a time to recognize their power and constant efforts to ensure that our families have what they need to thrive.

YEAR 10: 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY + CULTURE STRATEGY LAB

2020 was the 10th anniversary of Mamas Day. So, we returned to our roots in the Strong Families Network, with a collaborative project called the Culture Strategy Lab. Four partners, URGE, Famn Saj, Advocates for Youth and Southern Birth Justice Network,  worked together to create Mamas Day projects to celebrate mamahood. 

YEAR 11: HONORING MAMAHOOD DURING A PANDEMIC

In 2021, we were in the midst of a global pandemic yet Mamas were still loving and nurturing their communities and families. This year, we uplifted three new art pieces created by Amir Khadar in collaboration with Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) for their groundbreaking Gender Justice Report.

YEAR 12: HONORING THE MAMAS WHO LOVE, NURTURE AND PROTECT TRANS KIDS

In 2022, politicians targeted trans youth with a wave of harmful bills. In response to lawmakers denying the needs of trans youth, we celebrated and honored the mamas who nurture and protect trans youth. These mamas help young people blossom into who they’re meant to be.

YEAR 13: BLACK MAMAS RECLAIMING THEIR SPACE IN REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE 

Black mamas are the founders of the reproductive justice framework and are the foundation of our movement. This year’s theme, Black Mamas Reclaiming their Space in the Reproductive Justice Movement, celebrated Black mamahood and the Black mamas who continue to push the work forward.

We encourage you to send a beautiful, free Mamas Day eCard to honor a mama in your life and show how much you appreciate them.