'I AM MAMA'. 11 #BLACKLIVESMATTER POSTS EVERY MOTHER NEEDS TO READ

Image: Via Instagram/@mama2mamadoula

Image: Via Instagram/@mama2mamadoula

BY JESSICA BOSCO

These words. These images. They are so much more powerful than anything we could ever say.

Read them. Feel them. Learn from them.

Our children all need us to do better.

“George, we heard your cry for Mama! We wept as we listened, and we realized that Mama was also justice, air, and love. Black mamas understood and white mamas stood and declared I AM MAMA! We are all running to answer you. ⠀
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I AM MAMA - I am bold. I am bold enough to challenge and confront any and all racism and fear with in my own heart. I recognize that this is the most important work I can do.⠀
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I AM MAMA - I speak. I fearlessly speak, challenge, and confront all acts of racism in my home, my place of worship, my work, in my grocery store, and any place where I am present. My voice cannot be silenced because of fear or thoughts of inadequacy. ⠀
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I AM MAMA - I protect. I fight to protect those who are in danger. ⠀
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I AM MAMA - l comfort. I seek to comfort the pain and the lamenting of others. Because I am a mama I instinctively know when my shoulder is needed to cry on, and when my arms are needed to hug. ⠀
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I AM MAMA - I listen. I listen to opinions that are uncomfortable and unlike mine for the sake of my children. ⠀⠀
I AM MAMA- I see. I see the differences in others. I am not color blind, however, I am color aware. Blindness leads to unawareness, unawareness leads to inaction. I act because I can see. My awareness of our differences empowers me to truly love unconditionally and appreciate every uniqueness. ⠀
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I AM MAMA - I learn. I take the time to learn the world outside of my own, realizing that the experiences of others are valid and real. I do not discredit what is unfamiliar to me or what makes me uncomfortable. My teachable heart cultivates wisdom in my actions. ⠀
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I AM MAMA - I teach. I teach my children to love others as we love ourselves. I teach my children through the example that I AM. ⠀
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I AM MAMA - I heal. I tirelessly pour out my love to assurethat every child, of every color, has the same privileges as the next.⠀
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I AM MAMA - because of my love - and loving is what I do best. ⠀
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This is our battle cry! … I. AM. MAMA! ⠀
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George, we hear you. And we are here.⠀
I AM MAMA!⠀
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Declare it. Live it. Share it.”
— @heybelovedmama
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Raising a black boy is a scary blessing. It is like a big countdown from when your child grows from this cute little person into a threatening weapon. Even though, my black baby boy may hate violence, may not believe in carrying weapons or even fighting. The sheer amount of melanin in his skin will make him a threat in a short amount of time. I wish time would slow down. Not only because I want to cherish these sweet moments of his childhood, but also because I know that it’s only a matter of time before I can no longer protect this beautiful black boy from the ignorant people that will see him as a weapon of mass destruction only because of his skin color. How much longer do I have before my 8-year-old son grows from cute to a threat? This is a question I constantly ask myself. ❌Maybe 20 years? No… that can’t be right because #AhmaudArbery was an unarmed black boy killed at the age of 24 for just going on a daily jog. ❌Maybe 10 years? No… that can’t be right because #TrayvonMartin was an unarmed black boy killed at the age of 17 for just wearing a hoodie. ❌Maybe 5 years? No… that can’t be right either because #TamirRice was an unarmed black boy killed at the age of 12 for just playing with toys in the park. ______________________________________ To the Non-Black Mom, Can you raise your child not to fear my son’s black skin? Can you become an advocate and stand with mothers of black sons, to fight for justice? We need you as allies. We need you to pull up and be an activist when we are too. We show up for you being feminists and advocating Women’s Rights, now is the time that I need you to show up for us. Every last one of those men that killed an unarmed black boy was raised by a mother. I wish that mother had the opportunity to read this post when her child was young. Read more via link in bio #blackboys #blackboyjoy #blackmoms #boymom #boymomlife #raisingboys #raisingkings #blackmomsblog #mom

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🗣I AM MAMA is a movement bc us mamas are moving. Don’t stop! We fight til we win. ———— George, we heard your cry for Mama! We wept as we listened, and we realized that Mama was also justice, air, and love. Black mamas understood and white mamas stood and declared I AM MAMA! We are all running to answer you. ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ I AM MAMA - I am bold. I am bold enough to challenge and confront any and all racism and fear with in my own heart. I recognize that this is the most important work I can do.⠀ ⠀ I AM MAMA - I speak. I fearlessly speak, challenge, and confront all acts of racism in my home, my place of worship, my work, in my grocery store, and any place where I am present. My voice cannot be silenced because of fear or thoughts of inadequacy. ⠀ ⠀ I AM MAMA - I protect. I fight to protect those who are in danger. ⠀ ⠀ I AM MAMA - l comfort. I seek to comfort the pain and the lamenting of others. Because I am a mama I instinctively know when my shoulder is needed to cry on, and when my arms are needed to hug. ⠀ ⠀ I AM MAMA - I listen. I listen to opinions that are uncomfortable and unlike mine for the sake of my children. ⠀ ⠀ I AM MAMA- I see. I see the differences in others. I am not color blind, however, I am color aware. Blindness leads to unawareness, unawareness leads to inaction. I act because I can see. My awareness of our differences empowers me to truly love unconditionally and appreciate every uniqueness. ⠀ ⠀ I AM MAMA - I learn. I take the time to learn the world outside of my own, realizing that the experiences of others are valid and real. I do not discredit what is unfamiliar to me or what makes me uncomfortable. My teachable heart cultivates wisdom in my actions. ⠀ ⠀ I AM MAMA - I teach. I teach my children to love others as we love ourselves. I teach my children through the example that I AM. ⠀ ⠀ I AM MAMA - I heal. I tirelessly pour out my love to assurethat every child, of every color, has the same privileges as the next.⠀ ⠀ ⠀ I AM MAMA - because of my love - and loving is what I do best. ⠀ ⠀ This is our battle cry! … I. AM. MAMA! ⠀ ⠀ George, we hear you. And we are here.⠀ I AM MAMA!⠀ ⠀ ⠀ Declare it. Live it. Share it. ⠀ #mamasforjustice⠀ #iammama

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Good morning to everyone except those who don’t support the Black Lives Matter movement. There are some new faces around here so I thought that I should officially introduce myself. My name is Bri like the Cheese. Im an exhausted black mother living in Seattle. Im on a healing journey of self love with the ultimate goal of inner peace. I want to pass that gift on to my children. I am laying the groundwork for us to be free. . . I am a Black woman who lives in America with dreams of freedom because I have never lived in a world where I have felt truly safe. What does it feel like to go out in public and not fear a confrontation that could lead to your death? . . A few weeks ago the police showed up at my door unexpectedly. It was a mishap that I survived. Im still dealing with the trauma from that encounter. In March Breonna Taylor had the police show up at her door unexpectedly, but she did not survive that. Freedom to me is not having to actively work through the trauma of that encounter like it was a near death experience . . The path to freedom and setting yourself free is different for every person. Black mothers have layers to the chains that society binds us in. When I am out in public with my children I am in constant fear that if I do not present myself in a way that is free of judgement then someone will call the police on me and take my children away. So I am using my art to set me free. I am reclaiming the shame over my body and deciding the narrative. I am embracing my sexuality because it strengthens my motherhood. I release the fear of judgement through my art. Freedom to me is not being judged for my way of motherhood. . . . . . . #blacklivesmatter #blackmotherhood #blackmom #blackmomsmatter #blackgirlmagic #melaninpoppin #harathelable #butterflyclips #butterfliesinhair #momanddaughter

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It’s hard to make it any clearer than this

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V O I C E S. . .⠀ ⠀ Do you hear these voices? ⠀ ⠀ “Don’t be too proud, remember you were given the privilege of being equal”⠀ ⠀ “Don’t be too loud, they may take away your voice”⠀ ⠀ “Don’t be offended, I was just joking, I have friends who are black”⠀ ⠀ “Don’t be surprised if you put in twice the work but get half the pay”⠀ ⠀ “Don’t wear your hair natural and free, you won’t get a job”⠀ ⠀ “Don’t show too much passion, you will just be the angry black woman in the room”⠀ ⠀ “Don’t talk about injustices, you are just playing the race card”⠀ ⠀ “Don’t talk about experiencing racism, you are just playing the victim”⠀ ⠀ “Don’t expect to exceed, you are a black woman in a white man’s world”⠀ ⠀ “Don’t be ungrateful for the opportunities that you have been given”⠀ ⠀ “Don’t be surprised if your presence is a token or to make up a quota”⠀ ⠀ “Don’t dream bigger than what your ancestors achieved…because some things do not change”⠀ ⠀ These are the persistent voices of oppression.⠀ ⠀ Sometimes yours, sometimes theirs, sometimes mine.⠀ ⠀ I refuse to allow any of these voices to continue to suppress who I am.⠀ ⠀ I will change my present for the sake of her future.⠀ 🖤 ⠀ #blacklivesmatter⠀ #blackwomenmatter⠀ #blackmenmatter⠀ #blackchildrenmatter⠀

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social goodness, parentingJessica Boscoparenting, social goodness1 Comment