These Iconic Women Continue To Teach Us Lessons About Black Motherhood

black and white image of toddler girl being held by mom
Via Wikimedia Commons
L. Graciella Maiolatesi
May 17, 2023

#1: Harriet Tubman 

Conductor of The Underground Railroad, Tubman guided hundreds to freedom. 

But she also had an adopted daughter named Gertie.

#2: Mammie Till 

Mamie Till-Mobley is one of the bravest mothers in history. After her son, Emmet Till, was brutally murdered she could’ve had a quiet funeral. 

But she demanded his casket remain open and broadcast nationally, exposing anti-Black violence and inspiring the beginnings of the Civil Rights Movement.

#3: Maya Angelou

Renowned author and poet, Maya Angelou’s freedom was rooted in speaking her truth. Which is one reason she was so open about her past as a sex worker. 

She wanted this truth known so her son, and other young Black adults fighting against respectability politics, could be multifaceted individuals without shame.

#4: Alice Walker 

Author Alice Walker is a brilliant author who also juggled being a single mother, and the joy, grief, exhaustion, and unconditional love that comes with that.

Once she reflected, “I think mothers and daughters are meant to give birth to each other, over and over.”

#5: Gabrielle Union 

Actress Gabrielle Union reminds us that whether you’re related to a child by blood or by love, all children are worth fighting for. 

Cheers to Black mothers. May we know them, love them, and be them.

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