THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS “OTHER PEOPLE’S CHILDREN”
Good Wednesday, mamas:
Sarah here. I woke up at 5am today with a sick feeling. It took a minute for me to remember why and then an image popped into my mind of Elijah McClain, the 23 year-old Black man who was killed by Aurora, Colorado police in August of last year while walking home from a convenience store. He was unarmed, carrying nothing more than headphones and an iced tea he had bought for his younger brother. I lay in bed thinking of his mother. The never ending ache and loss she felt from losing her child. How would she ever recover?
When I became a mom, my responsibilities increased exponentially. So did my awareness, skills, and my job description. I became an entertainer. Short-order cook. Caregiver. Teacher. Chauffeur. And now, most importantly, an activist.
I carried a sign a few years ago at a protest against the Trump administration’s practice of separating children from their parents in detention at the southern border. It read: “There's no such thing as other people’s children, you Asshat.”
In retrospect, perhaps I could have used a kinder, more heart-centered approach. My favorite sign that day was carried by a 10-year-old boy: “Voldermort called. He said to tone it down.”
When we become mothers we have an amazing opportunity. Our hearts open to make room for our children, our bandwidth expands, and we gain additional capacity to care for, support, and elevate our fellow mothers and their children--to speak out, show up, and share our resources. It may sound like a responsibility or duty, but really it’s an opportunity, a gift. Every time we give of ourselves to others we create a powerful web of connection strong enough to hold the whole world and all its ills. Human connection--or “the original world wide web,” as Anna likes to call it--is a powerful network of possibility. All we have to do is recognize ourselves as part of it and plug in.
More and more people in our country are awakening to what isn’t working in our society, and they are plugging in. They are standing for the rights and protection of people of color, for women, for LGBTQ2+ people, for the underrepresented. We at Luscious Mother have made a conscious decision to join them. We are a business, yes. But first, we are mothers; or as Keisha Lance Bottoms, the Mayor of Atlanta, put it: “Above all else I am a mother.”
Above all else, we are mothers. And we are here to support ALL the mothers. That is our highest commitment and purpose. We refuse to be silent on issues that impact mothers and children, which is why we are supporting and amplifying the voices of Black mothers. Their lives, their voices matter. I invite you to visit Black Mamas Matter, an organization that their website describes as "a Black women-led cross-sectoral alliance." Their vision? "A world where Black mothers have the rights, respect, and resources to thrive before, during, and after pregnancy." We share their vision.
And we will keep doing what we think is right. We will keep talking about children--whether newcomers to this country or descendants of those who have been oppressed and marginalized here in America for centuries--being killed and treated inhumanely by figures of authority until it stops. We will keep donating our treasure and our talent until it stops. Until that time, we will be here, doing everything we can to support and serve mothers in the best way we know how: through teaching love, building understanding, and coaching moms to find strength in themselves and each other.
Join us?
With deep love and mad respect,
Sarah + Anna
PS - Check out this incredible article written by Maja Hazell (herself an exceedingly luscious mother) for the American Lawyer. It contains thoughtful insights and ways to be an ally. Maja is an attorney and Diversity & Inclusion professional for White & Case, a prestigious international law firm.
