revolutionary mothering love on the front lines

Cyril writes “Right now, mothers across this nation, and across the world are deciding how best to educate their children, and they are increasingly using digital technologies and mobile platforms to do it.” Acknowledging the integral role mothers face, she states “It is mothers who will shape the engagement strategies and activation point of the next generation. In “Motherhood, Media, and Building a 21st-Century Movement,” Malkia A. Certain passages seem almost prophetic, as the world rebounds from a global pandemic. Published shortly after the inception of Black Lives Matter, Revolutionary Mothering now finds itself in a particularly timely position, as the nation undergoes a renewed awakening to long-standing matters of racial disparity and systemic discrimination. As such, the book serves as both an ode to motherhood as well as an invitation to become immersed in the lived experience of each writer.

Although the writers emerge from widely different backgrounds, their voices come together in an alchemy of the written word, embodying creativity, resourcefulness, and strength as they raise children in a world that can be hostile simply because of their identity. Recognizing the need for diverse perspectives of motherhood, editors Alexis Pauline Gumbs, China Martens, and Mai’a Williams center the experiences of mothers of color and other marginalized mothers, including those who are disabled, single, queer, teenagers, and low-income. The same can be said of Revolutionary Mothering: Love on the Front Lines, an anthology of essays, letters, and ideas expressed through hybrid and experimental forms. Each item retains its own distinct flavor yet melds with the other ingredients into a complex and sumptuous whole, rendering the palate at once delighted and satisfied. He prepares it by first focusing his attention on the broth, adding the proteins after they are sautéed. The list of ingredients required to make my cousin’s coveted gumbo is a long one: shrimp, andouille sausage, Dungeness crab, chicken wings, hot links, tomato paste, chicken stock, filé powder.

Revolutionary mothering love on the front lines