Mothering as a Work of Art: A Black Mama Anthology Paperback – June 18, 2024

Mothering as a Work of Art: A Black Mama Anthology explores the multiple dimensions of ‘mothering while Black’, providing a platform for Black mothers to share their stories surrounding pregnancy, birth and motherhood.By providing a platform for these stories, this anthology celebrates the beauty, resilience, and complexity of Black motherhood, while challenging negative stereotypes and amplifying diverse experiences. Mothering as a Work of Art serves as a testament to the strength and diversity of Black mothers. Within its pages, readers will find narratives that explore the joys, challenges, and triumphs of pregnancy, childbirth, loss, and everything in between.Through the concept of mothering as a work of art, this book aims to change the narrative on mothering and help individuals reconceptualize their understanding of what it means to mother in contemporary times. The book focuses on thematic concepts of mothering as a work of art as understood by the authors, exploring ideas and ideals held around motherhood and how they might be reimagined to fit a narrative more aligned with real life experiences of motherhood. While the book honors and uplifts the voices of Black mothers, the message is for everyone. Mothering is a shared journey, and this book invites all of those who mother as well as partners, family members, and other community members, to gain valuable insights and understanding.The Mothering as a Work of Art anthology collection is was born out of conversations that led the editor Dr. Lyneia Richardson to realize that the journey to motherhood for many Black women in America is marked by childbirth trauma, loss, other medical complications, and even death. In the United States, Black women are three times more likely to die due to childbirth complications, many of which are preventable, than white women. Similarly, their babies are more likely to be born preterm, underweight, and experience other complications at birth. As a mother personally impacted by difficult child birthing experiences, she was inspired to use the power of creative expression and storytelling to empower other women to share their stories and find healing in their own journeys.ContributorsCassandra Walters, Rashida Zalika Davis, D.L. Tucker, Raquel Cherry, Rikiesha Metzger, Quashana Atofau-Caskey, Aïdah Aliyah Rasheed, Shama Winston-Ford, Bernaiyya Jackson, Jasmine Brown, Teresa Chisolm, Dashana Lane, Randiesa Spires, Gianina K.L. Strother Read more