The next time you see a mother, especially one who looks like she’s about to throw in the towel, or the next time you want to step out your lane and tell someone how they should parent, remember this: motherhood doesn’t come with rules and regulations. Life is hard and we are all just doing the best we can.At 31 years old, this is something that I’m just able to really wrap my head around and understand wholeheartedly without judgment. Yes fam, ya girl was throwing shade at mothers all around the world, including my own. It’s important that we understand not all families look the same and mothers come in many forms. It’s even more important that we celebrate these women not just on Mother’s Day, but every day.Late last year, my very white Dutch girlfriend met my entire family. She loved them, and I was happy she got the stamp of approval from them, including an invite to all future cookouts. Near the end of her visit she said, “I love your family, but I noticed something quite strange, where are the men?”I had never really thought about that; it’s just the way it’s always been. I’ve been thinking about that statement and came to the conclusion that we all already know: in the absence of Black men, the women always pick up the slack. We become the disciplinarian, the caregiver, the breadwinner — there is no sharing the load.But what happens when your mother is also not able to give you the life she feels you deserve? Who steps in? It’s usually a grandma or an auntie, still a woman. In my case, it was my great grandma and great aunt. My entire life I’ve known my mother. She carried me for nine months and was the first person to lay eyes on me when I not-so-willingly breached my way screaming into this world. She was a single, teen mom who took care of my younger brother and me the first five years of my life. Then, there was my great aunt. You know that aunt: the first in her family to go to college, the one who made it out of the hood, the one who everyone thinks is bougie as f**k, the one who, after helping taking care of so many brothers and sisters, most definitely didn’t want any kids of her own. Well there she was choosing to take care of and raise me. At a young age, I didn’t really mind this. I always thought how fortunate I was to have my aunt.Growing up, she worked from home and my grandma was also always home, too. I loved having my own room, baking with my grandma, playing in the backyard. I also did every activity in the book. I did it all: fencing, rock climbing, horseback riding, archery, gymnastics etc. I was living my best life and my mom was appearing to be living hers.But as life would have it, I grew up. I grew to resent my mother. How could she leave me? How could she abandon me? How could she seemingly put everything in this world before me? Why raise my brother and other people’s kids, but not me? Was I not her responsibility? Did she even love me?I also started to really question my aunt’s tough love parenting methods. Why is she pushing me? Why is she breaking me down, just to have me build myself up? Why can’t I just have fun like everyone else? Why do I need to be perfect? And ultimately that same question, does she even love me? Who was I and where did I belong?Flash forward to 2019, I’m an adult and I’ve spent the last eight years away from my family, living in Asia. I’ve now been home in Baltimore for about eight months and I spend a lot of time with my aunt and mom. Recently, my mom sent me a text saying, “You are beautiful, just like your momma.” While I strongly believe that Black and brown girls need to be told they are beautiful every single day, I thought, “She doesn’t even know that she has taught me so much more. She doesn’t think that someone like her could teach me anything more in life than being beautiful.”To be clear, she tells my younger siblings, nieces and nephews, all of whom she has had a hand in raising, that they get “life lesson worthy” traits from her, but rarely ever me.In celebration of my mother, and women like her, I would like her to know that she has taught me so much more than being beautiful. I’ve seen her struggle with her demons, fight self-hate, guilt and shame, endure things our bodies should not have to, get knocked down and ultimately, I've seen her survive. I've seen her take children into her home and raise them as her own, and the sheer amount of kindness she shows others because she’s walked in their shoes.I want my mother to look in the mirror and see what I see — a woman who is deserving and worthy of all her blessings. Thanks to her I'm not only beautiful, I am resilient. I know I can withstand any storm. Thanks to her I'm not hardened by the trials of life and I'm able to show empathy and compassion to those that I would otherwise be judging.My aunt recently had a full knee replacement. For over a year she’s been driving 30 minutes to a commuter bus, commuting for 1.5 hours and then walking up a hill to work. She is nearing 70, fiercely independent, stubborn and refuses to retire. Until I had a very serious talk with her, she was almost certainly not going to get that knee replacement. Why? Because her whole life she’s been strong and she’s sacrificed for others. So what was her joints deteriorating to the point that she could feel the bones rubbing together to her? It's just what you do.For her and the countless amount of non-biological mothers out there, I have nothing but love and respect for you. I am forever grateful that she sacrificed whatever dreams she may have had so that I could thrive and be me. She didn’t ask to be a parent, and it most certainly didn’t come with a playbook. She has taught me everything I know about responsibility, independence and determination. She has shown me that hard work, passion and discipline will take you the extra mile.Even though it took me a long time to get it, there is one lesson that both my mothers taught me, life is really f**king hard sometimes, but we are all just doing the best we...

When Shonitria Anthony, proud-weed smoker and mother of two, went on the hunt for a community of Black mothers who, like her, were vocal about their cannabis use,  her initial search was to no avail.“I was sitting at home one day — smoking weed obviously — with my boyfriend, and I was thinking if I was the only mom who does this,” Anthony, who currently lives in Los Angeles, told Blavity. “Then I thought that maybe I’m just some sort of an anomaly. I decided to start googling 'stoner moms' [and] 'moms who smoke weed' just to see what it would bring up, but all the women I found were white — so I was just very confused.”As a result, in 2017 Anthony created and launched the Blunt Blowin’ Mama website and Instagram page in an effort to build a community for Black mothers who smoke weed. The various questions that she got from moms on her Instagram page urged her to start her own podcast this month, just in time for Mother’s Day. The podcast is aimed toward exploring various issues surrounding Black motherhood and cannabis. View this post on Instagram I started using cannabis again when my son was 1 month old and I was really worried that it would impact my milk supply. Well, it turns out it's a concern a lot of other women have too when it comes to using cannabis as a breastfeeding mom. On the new episode of Blunt Blowin' Mama podcast dropping tomorrow I discuss what really went down when I started reincorporating cannabis into my life as a breastfeeding mom. #bluntblowinmamapodcast #bluntblowinmama #mompodcasts #womenpodcasters #blackwomenpodcasts #cannamommas #jointsmoker #cannabisqueen #cannabisqueenz #ganjagoddess #stonermom #cannaparentsA post shared by Blunt Blowin’ Mama (@bluntblowinmama) on May 8, 2019 at 3:30pm PDT“Eventually, I was starting to get a lot of questions from a lot of other moms about pregnancy and cannabis, breastfeeding and cannabis — and I couldn’t answer all of their questions, so I figured I should start a podcast,” Anthony told Blavity.Blunt Blowin’ Mama has debuted at a time when smoking weed is becoming slightly more acceptable in American culture, as more states legalize cannabis use each year. Following the 2018 midterm elections, Michigan, Missouri and Utah legalized weed in some form. Additionally, Washington, DC, and 10 other states — including California — have implemented broad measures to legalize recreational use.According to a 2017 study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), more pregnant women seem to be using weed to help with morning sickness and anxiety. A sample of pregnant women in California was included in the study, which reported the prevalence of marijuana usage increasing from 4.2% in 2009 to 7.1% in 2016. However, Anthony said that such studies and related research hasn’t eliminated the negative stigma associated with pot-smoking mothers, especially for Black moms.“The first thing people think is that you’re a bad mom, and I think that’s wrong,” Anthony said. "Cannabis can be used to take care of yourself, and self-care is important, especially for women of color. For Black moms, we already get hit with a lot of negativity, which is completely unfair. The narrative is always Black women having too many abortions, or Black women having too many kids. When you see these white moms who are consuming cannabis — I don’t see anyone attacking them.”A mom to a four-year-old daughter and four-month-old son, Anthony said smoking weed certainly makes her a better mother and allows her to focus on the present when spending time with her children.“Having kids is fun, but it’s also stressful.[...] There’s really no manual, so it’s a lot. But at the same time, it takes stamina, and so much energy and time. You have to be willing to devote the time, devote the energy, lose some sleep, and still be able to function and do parenthood. For me, I can sometimes get insomnia thinking about the things I have to do or didn’t do that day, so I’ll smoke a joint, which will help me go to sleep,” Anthony said.Anthony usually smokes up to three times a day and prefers vaping because it’s the most convenient way for her to smoke.“I think it’s super discreet — like you can hit one on your lunch break, and no one will know. It also helps me while being a mom, because I’m always looking for the quickest way or the most discreet way to kind of get it in without having to impair myself. I also like bongs because you can get you right quickly, and it doesn’t take a lot of your weed.”However, Anthony is adamant about not exposing her kids to her lifestyle yet. She shared that a conversation about weed will likely happen with her kids as they grow up.“I usually do it during nap time or bedtime. [...] At our old house, we had a balcony and we would just do it there while our daughter was playing inside. Whatever we’re using isn’t within reach of them either, but I definitely want to make sure that they know there’s nothing wrong with it. I want to introduce them to the many uses of it.” View this post on Instagram Fact: I used cannabis while pregnant with this beautiful baby boy I’m holding in this picture. I smoked joints a few times in the first trimester and in the second trimester I used vape pens to smoke cannabis oil cartridges. I even had an edible in my third trimester and I used lots of CBD topicals. And in my case my baby boy wasn’t born underweight due to my cannabis use, as some studies have claimed could happen if you use cannabis while pregnant. He actually weighed 9 lbs. He is hitting all his milestones and most importantly I feel like a sane human, who can take in each moment and love it full heartedly — all or mostly because of cannabis. I’m not saying all women should smoke weed while pregnant or that in some U.S. states there aren’t consequences for consuming cannabis while pregnant. I’m just sharing my experience because it’s a positive one that isn’t heard often enough. #cannamommy #postpregnancy #newbornbaby #newbornphotography #blacklove #blackfamily #momoftwo #bluntblowinmama #csectionmom #cannamamas #cannamoms #familyportraitA post shared by Blunt Blowin’ Mama (@bluntblowinmama) on Mar 20, 2019 at 9:36am PDTAnthony cites her boyfriend, who’s also the father of her kids, as someone who has helped her along her weed-smoking motherhood journey. However, her family members haven’t been as accepting.“I’m from Georgia, and I was born in Mississippi. Coming from the Bible belt with a Black, Christian family, smoking weed was always viewed as not ladylike,” Anthony said. “I have some cousins who support me, but I have some aunts and uncles who probably wouldn’t approve. My mom and stepdad don’t approve.”The shame associated with smoking weed is something Anthony believes is deeply embedded in Black culture, and understandably so considering the nation’s history of criminalizing Black drug users.“The war on drugs basically locked up Black and brown people, so there’s still that fear that if you live in a state where weed is illegal you can risk losing your kids. But if you live in a state where it is legal, I think it’s important to make yourself as visible as possible to just show that there’s more than one way to be a Black mom, and that Black moms don’t all parent the same way — and that’s OK,” said Anthony.However, with the Blunt Blowin’ Mama podcast, Anthony hopes to help eliminate the stigma and judgment associated with Black moms smoking weed. The podcast recently released its first episode on May 2.“People have been really positive about it and super excited,” she said. “They would tell me things about how they hoped the podcast was around when they had their first child, and a lot of women are glad that I’m doing this podcast. They have someone like them who’s speaking on these things.”Blunt Blowin’ Mama episodes air every Thursday via Stitcher. You can also access it on iTunes and Spotify. “I hope this podcast [will] definitely be in the forefront at the intersection of cannabis and parenthood and starting those conversations,” Anthony said. "[I hope it helps] people realize that this should be normalized, and [is] not some sort of taboo subject that we should tiptoe around.” Like this content? Now, check these out:Sen. Chuck Schumer And Rep. Hakeem Jeffries Want To Decriminalize Weed At The Federal LevelJemele Hill 'Is Not Here To Be Liked.' She's Here To 'Disrupt The System.'Presidential Candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren Wants Hospitals To Pay For Failing To Address Black Maternal...

No nonsense black mamas have a language of their own, and anybody who was raised by one will recognize it instantly. While I resent the idea that all black women are snappy and quick to anger, I do admit that we usually don't take kindly to disrespect. It starts at home with our mothers and from the time we are young, they have a series of sayings we hear well into our adult years. I'm sure if you're a mother now, you may find yourself saying the same things your mother said to you.Here are 21 black mama sayings that I'm sure we've all heard at some point.1. "I'm not one of your little friends." via GIPHYBlack mamas love reminding you that they're the mama and not your friend, so act accordingly.2. "Do I look like booboo the fool?" via GIPHYThis is a rhetorical question. The answer is always no.3. "A hard head makes a soft behind." via GIPHYWhen she says this, your best bet is just to straighten up before she tells you to go get the belt.4. "First of all, check your tone." via GIPHYUsually followed by, "Oh! You got an attitude?!" Don't argue, even if you feel like you didn't have a tone or an attitude. Just be quiet.5. "Stop all that crying before I give you something to cry about." via GIPHYAt this point, she has probably already given you something to cry about, hence why you're crying. However, suck your tears up until she leaves the room, then quietly cry into a pillow. Quietly is the key word here. 6. "You got McDonald's money?" via GIPHYI don't know what it is with black mamas and McDonald's, but they don't like to stop unless it's their idea. Even if you have McDonald's money, she probably isn't going to feel like stopping. Usually followed by, "We got food at the house." There may or may not actually be food at the house.7. "Don't you get in trouble following behind them white kids." via GIPHYThis is a conversation every black mama has had with their children at some point, when they begin doing foolish things under the influence of their white friends. She will usually follow up with the explanation of, "They won't get in trouble. You will." If you didn't have white friends growing up, substitute "white kids" with "lil' friends."8. "I hope you know that school work like you know them songs." via GIPHYYou know lyrics, but not algebra? How dare you. The root of all your problems is also the fact that you're always on that phone.9. "You smellin' yourself." via GIPHYThis is usually said by black mamas when you begin to think you're too cute or too good for your own good. It's a warning to humble yourself before she humbles you.10. "When we get in this store, don't touch nothin'." via GIPHYDon't ask for nothin' either. Because it's going to be a big, fat NO.11. "Fix your face." via GIPHYYou probably have a look on your face showing emotions of being upset, that could be interpreted as disrespect. Go ahead and fix that before she threatens to fix it for you.12. "I don't care what _______'s mama does. I'm not _______'s mama" via GIPHYAnd they aren't her child, you are. So using the argument of what someone else's parents allow is a dead end conversation.13. "Keep playing and see what happens." via GIPHYAnother warning call of black mamas.Once again, just please stop playing with her because no one wants to see what happens next.14. "Is that your lil' friend?" via GIPHYNo one is your girlfriend or boyfriend, they're always your "lil' friend."15. "Didn't I tell you..." via GIPHYMaybe said through clenched teeth and usually in reference to something she told you "fifty-eleven" times. FYI, "I forgot" is not an acceptable answer.16. "Don't let your mouth write a check your ass can't cash." via GIPHYAnother warning call of black mamas, especially older ones.This time, it may not be in reference to playing with her, but whatever it is you're doing. Don't let your mouth get you in trouble.17. "Stop running in and out of my house." You're most likely are letting her cold air out and slamming her door. The nerve of you when you don't pay any bills in her house.18. "You smell like outside." via GIPHYThe smell of outside is highly offensive to black mothers everywhere. Either go back outside or take a shower.19. "I brought you in this world, and I can take you out." via GIPHYAnother warning call of black mothers, and at this point, you've probably really pissed her off. Go ahead and shut up. Apologize too.20. "Go sit down somewhere." via GIPHYBlack mamas always want you to sit down somewhere. If she's on the phone, if you're in the house or if you're out in public, just go sit down.21. "If someone hits you first, you hit them back." via GIPHYEven though the teacher at school may have told you to tell them if someone hits you, listen to your mother. If you don't, she may follow up with, "You fight them, or you fight me." Fighting her is not the correct answer. It all goes back to respect. Even though black mamas don't like to be disrespected, they don't want their babies disrespected either.What are some sayings your mother has said? Let us know in the...

Mass incarceration and immigration enforcement are branches of the same system of confinement and exclusion. This is rooted in a long history in the United States where citizenship is defined as white, land-owning, and male, placing black people in opposition.Even after the ratification of the 13th amendment — which stopped enslavement except as a punishment for crime — and the 14th amendment — which granted citizenship to all persons born in the U.S. and equal protection under the law — black people’s ability to fully exercise and benefit from a U.S. citizenship has been contested from the Reconstruction Era.Black immigrants have folded into black communities increasingly over the last century, while destabilization abroad due to colonialism and imperialism, continues to drive black people out of their homelands. Stringent visa caps, declining refugee admissions, call to end birthright citizenship, and well-funded deportation agencies, all block black people from exercising their rights as citizens. Since both mass incarceration and immigration enforcement function as state mechanisms of punishment and policing, black people have been disproportionately impacted.Here are five commonalities between mass incarceration and immigration enforcement:1. Black people are over-represented in the U.S. prison system as well as in deportation proceedings.According to Pew Research, in 2017 black people represented 12 percent of the U.S. adult population, while occupying 33 percent of the sentenced prison population. Black people faced incarceration rates six times higher than incarceration rates for white people. But the stark figures do not stop in the prison complex.The Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) published State of Black Immigrants Report, where they analyzed and studied the effects of the changes of immigration to black people. The findings in the report were of mass importance.  “Although black immigrants comprise just 5.4 percent of the unauthorized population in the United States, and 7.2 percent of the total noncitizen population, they made up a striking 10.6 percent of all immigrants in removal proceedings between 2003 and 2015,” the report said.Black immigrants, it was found, were also more likely than any other group to face deportation on criminal grounds.2. Criminalization of black communities increases contact with police (and immigration enforcement agencies).Over-policing and overcriminalization of black communities produce disproportionate interaction with police. New York City’s notorious “Stop and Frisk” policy is a strong example of this fact. Trends toward profiling residents of color based clothes, behaviors, tattoos under the guise of gang affiliation, remains a means of justifying surveillance.For black immigrants, suspected gang affiliation can be a fast track to deportation. 3. Relatedly, increased militarization of local law enforcement agencies authorizes them to serve as immigration enforcement agencies.The militarization of local law enforcement means providing them with increased technologies and expanding their authority. Excess military weapons passed to local law enforcement are often used to surveil black and brown communities under the guise of drug and terrorism task forces.President Trump’s call to accelerate the militarization of the southwest border and laws like Arizona’s controversial “Show your papers” (SB1070), empower Customs and Border Patrol (C.B.P), and domestic law enforcement, to excessively target communities of color. In the case of SB1070, it is inconceivable that poor and working-class U.S. citizens without access to, or readily accessible documents — such as U.S. passports or birth certificates — could become vulnerable to whims of immigration enforcement agencies.These kinds of policies encourage the flagrant violation of constitutional and human rights.4. Cooperation between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E) and state/local agencies can be extensive.Florida’s anti-immigrant Senate Bill 168 highlights this level of collaboration. The bill requires state and local agencies to enforce federal immigration law, and bans sanctuary city policies.  This kind of legislation is concerning for Florida as the state is home to the nation's second-largest black immigrant population — mostly from the Caribbean.Adding insult to injury, standards of immigration detention are set by state/local prisons, where family detention centers function in the same capacity as prisons. Families and children are caged in detention centers, even though seeking asylum at a legal port of entry in the United States is allowed.In many cases of incarceration, people are subjected to overcrowding, inadequate medical and mental health services, physical and sexual abuse, and even death.5. Criminal convictions carry invisible punishments regardless of citizenship.While incarceration is supposed to serve as the primary consequence of a criminal conviction, many people continue to face additional hurdles after the fact. This includes exclusion from voting, access to public assistance, gainful employment, federal financial aid, and more. Denial of these resources often contributes to recidivism, or the likelihood to re-offend.Similarly, immigrants with certain convictions also become ineligible for immigration relief programs such as DACA, TPS, and DED, which would otherwise allow them to seek employment and access a driver’s license. Even marijuana-related charges can bar immigrants from becoming U.S. citizens under federal law.While Black people continue to struggle against the ways structural, and global, inequality marginalizes our communities and compels many to alternate modes of survival, the merging of criminal enforcement agencies and immigration will continue to be an area of concern.Like this content? Now check these out:Immigrants Are Facing ‘Crisis Level’ Processing Delays Under Trump And The Consequences Are Wreaking HavocWhat You Need To Know About Trump's Latest Threat Against Immigrants5 Things You Need To Know To About What's Being Done To Immigrant Families At The...

Last December, I got to be a part of something really special. I got a chance to deliver the commencement address for Morgan State University’s Class of 2018 graduates. Morgan State is an iconic and shining example of what HBCUs have embodied in this country for more than one hundred years: higher education opportunities that open doors for Black students and cultivate leaders who fight for equality, justice, and opportunity.HBCUs have made invaluable contributions to the fabric of this nation, but for far too long we have failed these schools and their students. We need to call out the history of discrimination of why that is and honor the role HBCUs have played in our country. And that means really investing in these institutions -- the way we should have been for generations. For decades, Black Americans were kept out of higher education because of government-sponsored discrimination. At the same time, the federal government and state governments shoveled money into colleges that served almost exclusively white students. With the financial help of Black churches, communities, and leaders, HBCUs aimed to fill that void and educate generations of Black students, often the first in their families to go to college.But it’s always been an uphill climb. These institutions have never had the same type of access to public funds like other schools, and the persistent racial wealth gap in our country has meant they don’t have the consistent support of rich alumni who can write big checks for big endowments. HBCUs have always had to do more with less -- and as a result, many are in danger of closing or have already shuttered their doors.We can’t fix this by nibbling around the edges. That’s why I have a plan to invest a minimum of $50 billion in HBCUs and Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). The Department of Education would have the power to automatically increase that funding as needed to make sure HBCUs can spend the same amount per student as other colleges. Colleges can choose what they want to do with that money -- provide free tuition for students, invest in new facilities, hire new faculty, or serve more students.We’re going to pay for this historical investment with my ultra-millionaire tax, which is a small 2% tax on fortunes over $50 million -- affecting just about the 75,000 wealthiest families in America. The ultra-millionaire tax also covers the cost of the rest of my higher education plan, which includes student debt cancellation of up to $50,000 for 42 million Americans, free two-year and four-year public college, and a $100 billion investment in Pell Grants to cover non-tuition costs like room and board. Experts found my debt cancellation plan would help close the racial wealth gap by substantially increasing Black and Latinx wealth.This proposal also includes some other pieces. It permits private HBCUs and MSIs to opt into the federal free-tuition program available to public colleges. It creates financial incentives for states to improve enrollment and completion rates for lower-income and students of color. It cuts off for-profit colleges from federal money so they can no longer use taxpayer dollars to enrich themselves while preying on lower-income students, service members, and students of color. It requires public colleges to submit an annual equity audit and removes artificial barriers to college by barring colleges from considering an applicant’s citizenship status or criminal history.We’re facing a crisis and we have only been scratching the surface. Higher education opened a million doors for me. Growing up, I always wanted to be a teacher. But for that, you needed a degree and for a degree, you needed money my family didn’t have. I managed to get a scholarship but then the first boy I ever dated asked me to marry him. I dropped out of college, sewed a wedding gown, and walked down the aisle at nineteen. I took a job answering phones and I thought that was it for my dream of being a teacher. But then I got my second chance with a commuter college that cost $50 a semester that I could afford on a part-time waitressing gig. My daddy ended up as a janitor but I got to be a public school teacher, a law professor, a United States senator, and now a candidate for president.That kind of chance doesn’t exist right now -- and I’m in this fight to create an opportunity for every kid. My plan will address the historical injustices in American education and ensure that opportunities are fairly available to...

Mothers should not be separated from their children on Mother's Day. National Bail Out, a national collective of Black activists, organizers and attorneys, is ensuring incarcerated Black mamas who've been separated from their families due to unfair cash bail systems, are back with their babies this holiday.At National Bail Out's inception, the goal was to educate folks about strains of the money bail system on Black families, and the importance of dismantling such a system that disproportionately impacts Black communities. National Bail Out organizer Mary Hooks, realized the U.S. criminal justice system doesn't only unfairly affect Black people, but it unfairly impacts Black mamas, and as a result -- their children. Today, NBO groups are bailing out EIGHT Black mamas and caregivers in #Maryland. And they're hoping to free a total of 20 before the end of week!Support #FreeBlackMamasDMV with a donation & help reunite families in the DMV for #MothersDay: https://t.co/y52Q1hwnPX #EndMoneyBail pic.twitter.com/Y4bDPhkSyo— #FreeBlackMamas (@NationalBailOut) May 6, 2019 Hooks, a queer Black woman, took National Bail Out's goal a step further when she conceived the idea #FreeBlackMamas for Mother's Day in 2017, shifting the focus to the rock of our communities -- Black mothers. Blavity spoke with Arissa Hall, project director for National Bail Out, about the need for a bailout system focused on primarily Black women. "Black mothers are the life and breath of our communities," Hall told Blavity. "They sustain us. The mamas, the aunties, the godmamas, the grandmamas -- they all sustain us. When our Black mamas are imprisoned, our whole communities suffer."  TWO DAYS ’TIL MOTHER’S DAY!So far, we’ve bailed out more than 55 mamas in 12 states and counting! And we’re not finished!Help us reunite more Black families this #MothersDay by donating to buy freedom for a Black mama who can’t afford bail: https://t.co/y52Q1hwnPX pic.twitter.com/uOscUnZcTp— #FreeBlackMamas (@NationalBailOut) May 10, 2019National Bail Out's organizers, spanning across cities from Washington, D.C., to Miami, FL., to Oakland, CA., focus on educating our communities through narrative shifting. "We want to shift the narrative of our culture from punishment to restoration," Hall told Blavity.We #FreeBlackMamas! You don’t #FreeBlackMamas? What’s wrong wit chu….This is how @DMVBlackLives gets down for #MothersDay! DONATE to pay bail and bring a mama home! https://t.co/m0ObHOk1el ♥️♥️ pic.twitter.com/2wqnlyG7u3— #FreeBlackMamas (@NationalBailOut) May 9, 2019National Bail Out is also cultivating change through educational programs, including the Black Mama's Fellowship program, launched last year.When the fellowship began in August 2018, twenty bailed out Black mamas were selected to participate in an 8-week paid program. "Mamas in Philly were meeting mamas in Oakland, and mamas in Oakland were meeting mamas in New Orleans," said Hall.  The participating mamas were able to convene, and even meet and form relationships with the organizers who bailed them out.In Hall's words, National Bail Out is "asking our people to help out our people." You can stay updated with National Bail Out's work @NationalBailOut and can contribute to the fight to free Black mamas at nationalbailout.org.Now, check these out:This Scholar Just Made History At The University Of South CarolinaLawyer Brittany Barnett, Who Kim Kardashian Works With To Free Offenders, Criticizes Media For Focusing On The Wrong ThingsBlack Votes Matter, Even Behind...

All of Twitter's favorite moments meet up in one place for your tweets of the week and you shall not be disappointed. From the Royal family's newborn to an overdubbed howling wolf, no one could have anticipated what this week on social media's favorite chatroom would look like. If Twitter isn't hooting, they're hollering with tears of laughter.Check out your tweets of the week below.Somebody get this wild (but tamed?) animal a record deal!Wolf got some soul lmao— Ⓥ⁴⁷ 🥵 (@TheKitchensHeat) May 9, 2019 When the truth hits you with a ton of boosters.Cause we were vaccinated https://t.co/IKtKmbRVWJ— 💀💀💀 (@peyton_exe_) May 5, 2019 Royal Prince Archie with the waves! Is that you, sir?Prince Archie in 18 years flexin on em https://t.co/lnetrzeMK7— Ace Boogie🥤🐍 (@myslimee) May 9, 2019 When you stop using words to freestyle, can we just call it noise? Bro wtf is this???? pic.twitter.com/pCUuj60wLX— #AbbasSTRONG (@Alyricz) May 5, 2019 A comparison you will never forget.I’m trying to explain to these niggas that Adam Sandler the white Tyler Perry and they not hearing me.— Vince Staples (@vincestaples) May 7, 2019 Maybe suffocation is the reason they run away?Drake has this thing where he hugs women like he KNOWS his cologne is the greatest fragrance they will ever smell on a man pic.twitter.com/Drikfw0KRV— Cardo B. (@Just_Cardo) May 3, 2019 Give her ha coins!Toni Braxton recording “he wasn’t man enough” 😂 pic.twitter.com/MzGdDuUdQf— Invader Xim 🚀🤴🏾 (@GerthaKitt) May 9, 2019 When celebrities let you into their private lives.Me when I see Big Sean after hearing Jhene Aiko, Triggered freestyle..😡 pic.twitter.com/UI7VrWomSM— Daddy Dollar$.. Jets (@chickdaddy1) May 8, 2019 Where is the lie?This how my bank account be breaking down my transactions 🤦🏾‍♂️😂 pic.twitter.com/p9nco8eUQN— St.Hussle (@StHussle) May 4, 2019 Daddies (and zaddies) need to be pampered too!She’s really about to make me get my nails did pic.twitter.com/c4bZCHBbAr— U-City ‘Lyzm Stan Account (@Vandalyzm) May 8, 2019 Aight. We a couple of baddies. pic.twitter.com/XLTWAcLPVy— U-City ‘Lyzm Stan Account (@Vandalyzm) May 9, 2019 And now we mobbing home lol pic.twitter.com/IPuNrumKvJ— U-City ‘Lyzm Stan Account (@Vandalyzm) May 9, 2019 An idea worth exploring.Somebody needs to throw a Black version of the Met Gala at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in DC— Ma$on (@FirstGentleman) May 7, 2019 Game of Thrones: The Black Edition.Missandei. A queen of many tongues. Never looked like she ever missed a bath. Coldest twistout of the Seven Kingdoms. Made an Unsullied quiver in his armor. We will forever stan the real. #DemThrones— AGD. (@TheLexGabrielle) May 6, 2019 “SET IT OFF IN THIS BITCH” was too long https://t.co/J9vBiNKvB2— TooMuchDog (@ayoREEN) May 6, 2019 Summertime wine.me after four mimosas pic.twitter.com/iCLfJR5I73— A.G. (@theambergj) May 4, 2019 Sometimes, great things happen during times of great despair.I’m crying at all y’all telling me to blackmail and negotiate my pay. 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭— blue ivy stan account (@fairlyoddkia) May 8, 2019 The Twitter streets have spoken, the crying tears have been shed and another week of foolishness has gone down in the books. Looking forward to the next time, my people.Stay Black and stay down!Now, check these out:Diddy On The Strength Of Black Mothers: 'I Don't Think Anybody Can Understand How Hard It Is To Be A Black Mom'Erykah Badu's Daughter Puma Curry Shines On Stage With Vocals Just Like Her MotherWe Shouldn’t Accept Judges Who Won’t Affirm Brown v....

More than two thousand Black people from across Oakland came to Lake Merritt a year ago to enjoy the first "BBQ’n While Black," event, organized by Logan Cortez and Jhamel Robinson. Organizers are planning to throw the second annual event this weekend at Lake Merritt.BBQ’N while black -Oakland taking back the lake https://t.co/mmTBepRFkr— Gina Madrid (@RawwG) May 20, 2018“We don’t want to attach this to BBQ Becky,” Robinson told local outlet KTVU. “Saying her name just gives her too much power."The event became massively popular last year after a white woman named Jennifer Schulte was caught on video two weeks before the event calling the police on two Black men for barbecuing near the lake. The video quickly amassed millions of views and Schulte was dubbed BBQ Becky before being memed endlessly.pic.twitter.com/8yqOwmmxZx— Alex 🦁 (@ItsWHATlee) May 15, 2018 The backlash to BBQ Becky made the event a massive hit, but organizers this year are hoping to focus the cookout on gentrification. The event ended up uniting with another event, 510 Day, that was started 4 years ago and saw its biggest crowds last year.  “It really became a response to BBQ Becky,” said Nicole Lee, one of the organizers of 510 Day at Lake Merritt.“We used to get 100 or so folks. But last year, we had 700 or 800. People were really indignant about what happened. They wanted the opportunity to stand up for their hometown and speak out against racism and gentrification.”Hundreds of people at Lake Merritt today for #BBQingWhileBlack festival after #BBQBecky viral video sparked national conversation on racism. The message from attendees: Everyone is welcome here. #Oakland pic.twitter.com/KoIASw7vdm— Erin Baldassari (@e_baldi) May 20, 2018Organizers are hoping to attract even more people to the event and hope to spotlight Oakland's dwindling number of Black residents, which is now down to just 23.5 percent of the city's population.“We want this to be a positive event. It’s a celebration of blackness. But we want our allies and members of the community there, too,” Robinson said, adding that since last year's festival, dozens of vendors and food carts line up around the lake and cater to Black families enjoying weekends near the water.Oh, the irony. Onsayo Abram is a certified fire sprinkler installer. He was one of the original men barbecuing with the charcoal grill at Lake Merritt. He’s out today with a big aluminum garbage can to put coals in #BBQingWhileBlack pic.twitter.com/EAJr0qWXDB— Lisa Fernandez (@ljfernandez) May 20, 2018Now, check these out:  BBQ Becky's 911 Calls Reveal That We Weren't The Only Ones That Thought The Incident Was Crazy White Woman Arrested After Attacking Multiracial Group, Including Black Mom With Her Child Ommm No She Didn't: Woman Calls The Police On Black Man Sitting in His Car Listening To Yoga CD...

The African Union is moving toward unifying of its 55 member nations by creating a new continental passport. The passport would allow visa-free access to every citizen of its member states to move freely throughout the continent.“The goal is to realize the union of an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa driven by its own citizens,” Khabele Matlosa, the organization's Director of political affairs said to CNN. Even the wealthiest person on the continent, Aliko Dangote, who got a copy of the AU Passport on its launch in 2016 said during an interview that the passport did not exclude him from bureaucracy.“I was invited by the president of Angola to come and see him, and I had to go,” he said. “When I went there, I had to be given visa on African Union passport. It is not about fees. When you say African Union passport, you should be able to go everywhere, free of charge.”In creating a hassle-free travel option like what is seen in the European Union or even its own regional Economic Community of West African States the bureaucracy of travel is hard to end."Until we get a passport like that of the EU, it will remain difficult to travel within Africa," Adedamola Idowu, who runs a travel agency on the continent said.Outside of traveling with ease, the unification of the states on the continent would also create economic growth with increased trade. After a 2018 endorsement of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement by 44 leaders of African nations, eight more have joined.“The agreement will result in the socio-economic development, industrialization and diversification on the African continent,” Hafsatu Lawal Garba told CNN.Now check these out:United Nations Report Warns Of ‘Unprecedented’ Rate Of Extinction For 1 Million SpeciesThis South African Student Was Banned From Her School For Protesting Gender-Based ViolenceResearchers Are Piloting A Malaria Vaccine In Three African...

A group of Black doctors are teaming up to open the first Black-owned Urgent Care Center in Chicago's Hyde Park. Premier Health Urgent Care, will be the Southside's first Urgent Care facility and hopes to provide affordable healthcare to a population in desperate need of it.“We are happy to open an urgent care in Hyde Park because the community needs it. I see so many urban professionals who either delay or go without care because of time constraints," said Dr. Reuben C. Rutland."No one has 8 hours to wait in the emergency department for a minor illness or the flexibility to wait 3 weeks because their primary care doctor is booked solid. We are here to help fill that gap.”The Urgent Care's founders include Dr. Airron Richardson, Dr. Michael A. McGee, and United States Navy veteran Dr. Reuben C. Rutland. They opened the facility in a partnership with former Chicago Bears wide receiver Dr. Gregory Primus. After his football career ended, Primus became the first Black person trained in orthopedic surgery at the University of Chicago. View this post on Instagram Come on in - We've saved a seat for you! Our convenient hours, Monday-Friday, make it easy to get treatment and get back to your busy schedule.A post shared by Premier Health (@premierhealthchicago) on May 9, 2019 at 9:33am PDTRutland made it clear that the Urgent Care was not trying to replace any other form of healthcare but sought to fill the gap in the middle.  “We are not in competition with the doctors offices or the emergency department," Dr. Rutland said."We are a supplement to them both, to help relieve the stress on those two facilities.”Blavitize your inbox! Join our daily newsletter for fresh stories and breaking news.Urgent care centers have become wildly popular in cities across the country for providing quick, same-day treatment without the lengthy waits."Once a patient is seen, they are typically treated in less than an hour, making Premier’s walk-in clinic an ideal provider of the immediate care when it’s needed the most," the founders said in a press release."Premier accepts many major types of insurance and offers services at a fraction of the cost of hospital-affiliated urgent care or emergency rooms."In a press release, the center's founders said they will be able to treat a variety of illnesses and ailments. They also plan to donate a cut of the profits to the Project Outreach and Prevention (POP) organization, which they said, "aims to prevent youth violence in surrounding neighborhoods by providing resources, services and education to assist teens in making better life-long choices."Dr. McGee told Chicago's Fox 32 that it was difficult and distressing to deal with injuries from shootings, which are common in some parts of the Southside. "When you have a kid come in who is 11 or 10 and they've been shot, and you can't do anything about it, and you have to tell their parents and look them in the eye and say hey, I'm sorry, your child is dead. Their parents grab me and tell me to bring them back," he said in an interview with the news station.Over the last year, dozens of black-owned businesses have sprung up across the Southside, including Peach’s Currency Exchange Cafe, Justice of the Pies and Brown Sugar Bakery. Now, check these out:8-Year-Old Flawlessly Pays Tribute To Michelle Obama When She Was A Princeton FreshmanCourt Documents Reveal Patterns Of Alleged Torture Of 10-Year-Old Boy Killed By Mother And Her BoyfriendWilfred DeFour, One Of The Iconic Tuskegee Airmen, Dies At 100 Years...

Just about every kid has a story about the time they tried to prank their parents. Sometimes it goes swimmingly and other times not so much. We're about to tell you a tale of the latter.Just in time for Halloween season, the New York Post shared a video in which a little boy tries approaching his mom wearing a big furry mask for some fun scares.He got popped for his prank: The Post identified the little boy as Tylen Ellis and the mother as Tashila Alexander. The two were shopping at a Walmart in Chickasha, Oklahoma, when Tylen walked up to his mom in a mask. Next thing you know, her instincts got the best of her, and she socked him in the face. Welp!It looks like the little Tylen wasn't harmed by the blow, likely because the mask was super furry with padding. We know mama was just acting off natural instinct, and we all got to watch as Tylen learned a lesson for the ages: you don't play with Black mamas like that, child!  Liking this content? Check these out: Let's Give Blue Ivy A Hand For Hilariously Pranking Tina Knowles Lawson On Beyoncé's BirthdayComedian Says Prank Call With Drake's Producer J. Prince Forced Him To Leave Town In Hysterical Twitter Thread'Black Panther' Fans Won't Stop Prank Calling Wauconda,...

Last week, black women from around the country took to Washington, DC to stand up for Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN). The “Black Women In Defense of Ilhan Omar” rally was organized by the Movement for Black Lives (M4BL) in response to threats against Omar’s life.Since election to Congress in 2018, Omar has been the subject of racist and Islamophobic attacks by Republicans. But, in April, she began to experience an uptick in death threats after President Trump shared an out of context video on Twitter, where Omar discussed the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.Omar was grateful for the support offered to her at the rally, where the underlying message said, "Black women will not be silenced from speaking out about sexism, racism, and bigotry."Thank you to my sisters who showed up for me this week. We won't be silenced. 💪🏽 pic.twitter.com/TyV69wmhY6— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) May 2, 2019 While the rally itself was intended to defend Omar, it also demonstrated how threats of violence against black women elected officials have increased under the Trump administration. Trump has targeted black women within the field of journalism, as well as within the U.S. House of Representatives; such as with Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL), Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), and now Omar.  Donald Trump Isn’t Playing Games With Ilhan Omar—He’s Inciting Violence https://t.co/OoHsvDBiGP— Steven Hudson (@itsstevenhudson) April 29, 2019Advocates say the Democratic Party has not done nearly enough to stand up to Trump in this regard. While many Democratic leaders have spoken out about Trump's tweets, he has yet to be officially censured or reprimanded. To that end, black women are using their various platforms to speak out—not just about the hatred and violence that Trump is inciting, but also to hold Democratic officials accountable.Makia Green, an organizer for Black Lives Matter DC, told Blavity Politics that despite the history of silencing black voices, black women will always push back.“We are making a declaration of support in defense of Rep. Ilhan Omar and [are] targeting the Democratic leadership to let them know that not only do we see their silence, but we are making our demands clear that they speak out against the attacks on her and take legal action to censure President Trump,” Green said.Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) has also said black women will no longer be silent in the face of hatred and bigotry.“We are demanding you trust black women, you see black women, you believe black women, and honor us for the role we have played as healers and preservers of this democracy and this nation," Pressly said at the rally.What we can no longer accept is the silencing of black women. What we can no longer accept is a man who emboldens white supremacy & endangers the life of a member of congress. #IStandWithIlhan #HandsOffIlhan pic.twitter.com/TVgnYu3Hpy— Rep Ayanna Pressley (@RepPressley) April 30, 2019Omar refuses to be silent amidst the attacks. Last week, she accused her critics of being afraid of her power and influence as a black woman elected to office."The thing that upsets the occupant of the White House, his goons in the Republican Party, [and] many of our colleagues in the Democratic Party, is they can't stand that a refugee, a black woman, an immigrant, a Muslim, shows up in Congress thinking she's equal to them," Omar said.Many on Twitter were quick to support her statements.Now, check these out:Ayanna Pressley, Angela Davis Among Scores of 'Black Women In Defense of Ilhan Omar' During Washington, D.C. RallyBuilding The Bench: Why Prioritizing Black Women In Local Office Is So ImportantImmigrants Are Facing 'Crisis Level' Processing Delays Under Trump And The Consequences Are Wreaking...