Stories About Mama is a compilation of narratives from ten authors whose mothers were born within a 30-year span (1924 - 1954), smack dab in the middle of the Jim Crow era (1896-1954) a time when many African Americans, women included, were sharecroppers. Far too many Black women have never purposely engaged in healing; seeking to understand our mothers in full context of the time and seasons of life. This book is about the healing of Black women from the wounds we have regarding our mothers. To provide a gracious space to look beyond the pain and the shame of their mother’s stories and honor her by seeing her through the lens of grace and glory. It is critical that we consider the sum of everything that they have gone through to see what incredible superwomen they are. In doing so, we rewrite the narrative about the Black woman in America. Because our mothers lived in and through an unprecedented era that forced them into characterizations that did not tell the whole story of who they were, the authors in this collaboration beautifully take license to introduce another point of view - one that accentuates the positive.
The original call for authors was for women of color who have either lost their mothers, didn’t have the greatest relationship with them, or who had/have magnificent moms. Healing, reconciliation, and acknowledgment of the need for personal self-development and growth were all fruit produced as the stories emerged. We called on women who wanted to heal, to practice the Word of God, and to, Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) Ephesians 6:2. We called on women to help restore their mothers’ legacies by reframing the narrative of precious (sometimes painful) memories into hope!
Aware that many relationships with mothers were wrapped in the pain of abuse, violence, the dysfunction of substance abuse or mental illness, or even non-existent; this reframing process is about healing for the writers (and readers) regardless of the relationship. We knew that walking the delicate balance of learning their history without reliving the trauma was probably not possible. Therefore, we prayed together each week and before each assignment. I was upfront and transparent from the beginning about seeking The Holy Spirit to guide us in every phase of the project. I was intentional in our Spirit-led approach of using scripture, writing prompts, activities, and conversations to help us to convey our mothers’ real stories, careful to stay close to the guideposts of love, redemption, and reconciliation. Finding healing, forgiveness, grace, and a God-inspired resolve continues to be our prayer for ourselves and our readers.
