25 Quotes About Motherhood by Black Women Writers
To be a Black woman and a mother in today’s world can feel overwhelming. Despite the biases, stereotypes, and discouraging statistics, we continue to cultivate safe spaces for little girls and boys to flourish and grow. Although every mother’s path looks different, (and as we emphasized in the Motherhood Issue, mothering can look so many different ways and doesn’t always involve birthing biological children), we all have so much in common, and so much to fight for. One thing is for sure, the future is in our hands, so we must prioritize our own health and wellness, including mental and spiritual wellness. Healing ourselves is the key to healing our lineage. It is an act of revolution to mother with tenderness and love in this harsh world.
There’s no single map to motherhood, especially when you’re navigating the world as a Black mom. Now more than ever, with a political climate that threatens to take away rights and resources for our most vulnerable families, we have to mobilize. It’s our time to create, protect, and uplift life. While sitting with these quotes, I realized that I’m grateful for every woman who ever took the time to care for herself, and love herself even if that’s not what she was taught growing up. So many of the writers below echo the sentiment that mothers are out first mirrors, the individuals who teach us how to love.
So mothers, be sure to make space to love yourself even in the midst of the demands of motherhood. You deserve to live your very best and healthiest life! The next generation is watching and learning.
Would a day of self-care get you back on track with your wellness goals? Join us at the Write Heal Thrive Virtual Retreat for a day of writing and unwinding! Use code: MOTHERSDAY25 to save on your ticket to the virtual retreat!
On Love & Sacrifice
Cicely Tyson
“We may never realize the extent to which our behaviors impact our children, how they seek validation in our every word and smile, gaze and gesture.” — Cicely Tyson, Just as I Am
“Nearly all parents I know can sum up their aspirations for their children in one word: better.” — Cicely Tyson, Just as I Am
Maya Angelou
“To write about my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power.” — Maya Angelou
Toni Morrison
“A Mother’s Love is like no other. It’s fierce, unyielding, and unconditional.” — Toni Morrison
Alice Walker
“Motherhood is the greatest act of rebellion in a world that tries to silence women.” — Alice Walker
Audre Lorde
“I am my best work — a series of roadmaps, reports, recipes, doodles, and prayers from the frontline of motherhood.” — Audre Lorde
Michelle Obama
“Being a mother has been a master class in letting go. Try as we might, there’s only so much we can control.” — Michelle Obama
On Strength & Resilience
Oprah Winfrey
“Biology is the least of what makes someone a mother. It’s the love, the sacrifice, the heart.” — Oprah Winfrey
Viola Davis
“ My mother is my root, my foundation. She planted the seed that I base my life on.” — Viola Davis
Lupita Nyong’o
“A mother’s arms are made of tenderness, and children sleep soundly in them.” - Lupita Nyong’o
Angela Davis
“The most radical thing a mother can do is raise her children with love in a world that tries to deny them humanity.” — Angela Davis
Corretta Scott King
“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its mothers.” — Corretta Scott King
On Legacy & Wisdom
Zora Neale Hurston
“Mama exhorted her children at every opportunity to ‘jump at de sun’. We might not land on the sun, but at least we would get off the ground.” — Zora Neale Hurston
Jamaica Kincaid
“My mother taught me everything, except how to live without her.” — Jamaica Kincaid
Toni Morrison
“A mother is a child’s first mirror; she shows them who they are before they know it themselves.” — Toni Morrison
Maya Angelou
“I sustain myself with the love of my family, the wisdom of my mother, and the courage of my ancestors.”—Maya Angelou
Beyonce
“My mother taught me the power of silence and the power of speaking up when it matters.” — Beyonce
On Joy & Struggle
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
“Motherhood is a glorious and difficult gift.” — Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Issa Rae
“My mom is the reason I’m fearless. She never let me believe anything was impossible.” — Issa Rae
Tarana Burke
“Motherhood is activism. Raising free Black children in an unfree world is resistance.” — Tarana Burke
Shonda Rhimes
“Being a mother is learning about srrengths you didn’t know you had and dealing with fears you never knew existed.” — Shonda Rhimes
Roxane Gay
“Motherhood is a choice you make every day to put someone else’s happiness and wellbeing ahead of your own.” — Roxane Gay
On Healing & Growth
bell hooks
“The practice of love is the most powerful antidote to the politics of domination, and mothers are often our first teachers in love.” — bell hooks
Layla F. Saad
“Mothering is not just raising children; it’s raising the next generation of healers, warriors, and dreamers.” — Layla F. Saad
Iyanla Vanzant
“A mother’s love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible.” — Iyanla Vanzant
Janet Mock
“My mother gave me the greatest gift: She believed in me before I believe in myself.” — Janet Mock
