Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by roanfrancis
We Live for the We: The Political Power of Black Motherhood by Dani McClain
4.0
I liked this. I was expecting more history and political context; there was some of that, combined with the author’s personal experience, reflections on early motherhood, hopes and expectations for the future. This personal narrative made for a very readable and likable text that was also specific to the experience of being middle/professional class, having an involved (though not cohabitating) coparent, and having one (young) child. This is not the way most people in the US experience parenting- which the author acknowledges.
I appreciate/share a lot of Dani McClain’s politics and values and enjoyed reading her thoughts on family, education, mothering, belonging, sex ed, spirituality, and movement-building. An early chapter was drawn from her very good 2017 article in The Nation about birth outcome disparities for black women and the impact of systemic racism and medical bias. She interviewed several other black mothers and includes snippets throughout the book of their stories of organizing, family building, finding (and starting) schools with strong academics AND social/cultural/spiritual support for black kids.
This book fills a very important niche that shouldn’t be a niche - parenting books geared towards black families. Much of the book is concerned with questions of how to support black kids’ psychic freedom in a society shaped and dictated by white supremacy. McClain thoughtfully explores the way blackness shapes some common parenting questions that are very whitewashed in mainstream narratives: what school environment will my kids thrive in? Where/how do I find and build community? What family structure best supports kids? How do get the best birth and prenatal care? What kind of discipline to use? What is a healthy relationship to and distribution of home/domestic labor? What does it mean to balance my family’s needs with the needs of a collective? McClain offers different perspectives and resists easy/pat answers.
The book really shines where it combines personal narrative with history and research, like in the chapter on school that explores the history of Detroit Summer and other liberation-based programs. I loved the connection-making between the author’s family and history/broader context. I enjoyed the broad brush strokes, and also craved a deeper dive into some of the topics the book raises.
I appreciate/share a lot of Dani McClain’s politics and values and enjoyed reading her thoughts on family, education, mothering, belonging, sex ed, spirituality, and movement-building. An early chapter was drawn from her very good 2017 article in The Nation about birth outcome disparities for black women and the impact of systemic racism and medical bias. She interviewed several other black mothers and includes snippets throughout the book of their stories of organizing, family building, finding (and starting) schools with strong academics AND social/cultural/spiritual support for black kids.
This book fills a very important niche that shouldn’t be a niche - parenting books geared towards black families. Much of the book is concerned with questions of how to support black kids’ psychic freedom in a society shaped and dictated by white supremacy. McClain thoughtfully explores the way blackness shapes some common parenting questions that are very whitewashed in mainstream narratives: what school environment will my kids thrive in? Where/how do I find and build community? What family structure best supports kids? How do get the best birth and prenatal care? What kind of discipline to use? What is a healthy relationship to and distribution of home/domestic labor? What does it mean to balance my family’s needs with the needs of a collective? McClain offers different perspectives and resists easy/pat answers.
The book really shines where it combines personal narrative with history and research, like in the chapter on school that explores the history of Detroit Summer and other liberation-based programs. I loved the connection-making between the author’s family and history/broader context. I enjoyed the broad brush strokes, and also craved a deeper dive into some of the topics the book raises.