We live for the we : the political power of Black motherhood

A warm, wise, and urgent guide to parenting in uncertain times, from a longtime reporter on race, reproductive health, and politics In We Live for the We , first-time mother Dani McClain sets out to understand how to raise her daughter in what she, as a black woman, knows to be an unjust — even hostile — society. Black women are more likely to die during pregnancy or birth than any other race; black mothers must stand before television cameras telling the world that their slain children were human beings. What, then, is the best way to keep fear at bay and raise a child so she lives with dignity and joy? McClain spoke with mothers on the frontlines of movements for social, political, and cultural change who are grappling with the same questions. Following a child's development from infancy to the teenage years, We Live for the We touches on everything from the importance of creativity to building a mutually supportive community to navigating one's relationship with power and authority. It is an essential handbook to help us imagine the society we build for the next generation. What black mothers can teach us about raising happy, free, and fearless children. "Mama exhorted her children at every opportunity to 'jump at the sun. We might not land on the sun, but at least we would get off the ground.'"-Zora Neale Hurston A longtime reporter on race, reproductive justice, policy and politics, Dani McClain is now also the mother of a baby girl. Like all first time mothers, she has countless questions about raising her child to be ethical and kind, but also to be healthy, happy, and safe in what she, as a black woman, knows to be an unjust, even hostile society to people of color. In Jump at the Sun , McClain interviews other mothers and experts, asking the tough, scary questions, but also celebrating the joys of motherhood and hope that children bring. Following a child's development from infancy to toddlerhood through early childhood and the teenage years, the book touches on everything from the importance of creativity and the imagination to managing a functioning relationship with authority and the law. McClain shows that how we parent, perhaps even more importantly than how we participate in direct action and advocacy, will determine how we survive these turbulent times. Black Mothering Is An Inherently Political Act. Black Women Are More Likely To Die During Pregnancy Or Childbirth Than Women Of Any Other Race; Black Mothers Must Stand Before Television Cameras Reminding The World That Their Slain Children Were Human Beings. The Author Explores How To Ensure Her Daughter Lives With Dignity And Joy, Learning How To Parent Boldly In Uncertain Times And Cope With The Anxieties That Sometimes Threaten To Consume Her. Mcclain Spoke With Mothers On The Frontlines Of Movements For Social, Political And Cultural Change Who Are Grappling With The Same Questions. Birth -- Home -- Family -- Play -- Belonging -- School -- Body -- Spirit -- Power -- Conclusion. Dani Mcclain. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 235-251).