Northeastern-based moms create virtual workshop to support Black mothers
Having a baby can be scary enough on its own, but for a Black mom, having a baby in 2020 can be downright terrifying.
Ferene Paris Meyer, a Vermont-based storyteller and mother of two, felt the fears and frustrations of her friends who have endured pregnancy and childbirth during a time of racial unrest and a devastating global health crisis. She was moved to do something to support them.
“I wanted to create an affirming environment for Black moms who felt alone and afraid,” she told Hey, Black Mom!
Paris Meyer partnered with her friend Veronica Jacobs of The Sunrise Creative to develop Mothering While Black, a 2-hour virtual storytelling workshop for Black mothers and caregivers. It will take place online on Dec. 10 from 7 to 9 p.m. ET.
You can register for the Zoom meeting here.
The workshop will move participants through a series of reflective prompts designed to promote self-love. Paris Meyer said she wants to encourage moms and caregivers to make space for themselves so that they can show up in the best way for their children.
One prompt uses ocean waves as a metaphor for parenting, symbolizing the periods of turbulence and serenity caregivers experience.
“We want to look at how you return to yourself when you have to care for someone else who takes over so much of your life,” Paris Meyer said.
She hopes Mothering While Black will create a community that makes mothers and caregivers feel supported in a time when they are forced to isolate.
The event is free, but donations are welcome.