Presented by Renata Ferdinand
My research provides a glimpse into the minutiae of mothering that reveal the intimacies and intricacies of black women as mothers. Specifically, it uses storytelling as well as narrative and performative writing to uncover what might remain hidden in the very practice of motherhood. What I offer here is a candid exploration into my life as a mother to an African American daughter in order to expose the ways in which I prepare her to traverse a racist and sexist society. In doing so, I aim to highlight how my mothering is complicated by existing societal problems involving race, class, and gender, and how this ultimately affects my mothering practices. As a result, the “lessons” or teachable moments for me are located in the nuances of everyday moments.