We Live for the We: The Political Power of Black Motherhood

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.

Atlanta mothers Sedara Burson and Zahra Alabanza, both of whom Dani McClain interviewed for the book, will also join in the discussion after the reading.

Dani McClain reports on race and reproductive health. She is a contributing writer at The Nation and a fellow with Type Media Center (formerly the Nation Institute). McClain’s writing has appeared in outlets including Slate, Talking Points Memo, Colorlines, EBONY.com, and The Rumpus. She was a staff reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and has worked as a strategist with organizations including Color of Change and the Drug Policy Alliance. McClain lives with her family in Cincinnati.

Sedara Burson is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Professional Counselor Supervisor and Master Addiction Counselor in the state of Georgia. She has more than a decade of experience providing psychotherapy to children and adults who seek to better understand themselves and cope with the stressors of life. Her work focuses on family systems, substance abuse, trauma, depression, grief and loss. She is author of the children’s books Master Maasai and His Power to Choose and Noble Nyela and Her Power To Create.

zahra is a life enthusiast. She is a mother, organizer, creative and adventurer. A project starting, wandering, overlover and outdoor junkie. zahra has happily resorted to enjoying life the way she did when she was 13 years old, unapologetically with tons of play. She utilizes space/experience curation, outdoor adventure, food justice, yoga(ing) and being a creative as the root of her community organizing efforts to enhance physical and mental wellness, economic vitality and environmental stewardship among Black folks. Her work centers Black women and children and meets at the intersection of justice, living in ones values, healing, quality of life and Black Liberation.

This is a Charis Circle Founding the Future of Feminism event. The suggested donation is $5.

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