Rebel Mothers

Susie is on spring break with her family this week, so this quick update offers some upcoming episode ideas, including anger in motherhood, managing transitions, white mothers, maternal ambivalence, mothers and sex, and more.

What do YOU want to hear about on Rebel Mothers? Email [email protected] with ideas and suggestions

Maternal activism is a specific form of activism that is focused on addressing issues that impact mothers, children, and families within their communities and society at large. Susie breaks down why we don't usually hear this term used, the pros and cons of centering mothers in activism, and highlights the diverse forms of activism engaged in by mothers from different backgrounds. The episode emphasizes how maternal activism intertwines with broader social justice issues and challenges societal norms to advocate for mothers and their families.

Topics Covered

• Defining Maternal Activism: Susie examines the seeming contradiction between 'maternal' and 'activism', debunking stereotypes and exploring the history of mothers in social movements.
• Successful Maternal Activism Case Studies: In-depth analysis of organizations like Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense and Black Mamas Matter Alliance, exploring their strategies and successes.
• Analysis of Unsuccessful Activism: A critical look at the Wall of Moms movement, understanding its pitfalls and lessons learned.
• Intersectionality in Maternal Activism: Exploration of how maternal activism intersects with anti-racism, LGBTQ rights, and environmental issues.
• What Makes Maternal Activism Successful: Storytelling, community, creating agency and authority for mothers, cooperation, and uplifting and taking initiative from historically marginalized mothers

Resources Mentioned

• International Association for Maternal Action & Scholarship (IAMAS)
• From Maternalism to Activist Mothering | Semantic Scholar
• Stories - Moms Demand Action
• About Us - Black Mamas Matter Alliance
• The Wall of Moms Got Your Attention, but Mothers Have Always Been Fighting for Change
• Ten Questions For: Shannon Watts - Jill Filipovic 
• September 5, 2023. Angela Aina - Black Mamas Matter Alliance - The Black Information Network Daily Podcast - Omny.fm
• The Complicated Rise and Swift Fall of Portland's Wall of Moms Protest Group
• Killing the Black Body: Race, Reproduction and the Meaning of Liberty By Dorothy Roberts

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In this episode of Rebel Mothers, Susie takes the audience on a journey to explore the concept of motherhood as enlightenment. She reflects on her own experiences and the parallels between motherhood and spiritual traditions. Susie challenges the societal norms and beliefs around motherhood and presents it as a path to spiritual growth and awakening.

Topics: 

• Spiritual experience of motherhood
• Societal challenges and pressures faced by mothers, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Reframing motherhood as a spiritual path to empowerment and enlightenment.
• Expanding the definition of motherhood to include anyone engaged in nurturing and raising children.
• Differentiating motherhood as a spiritual path from essentialist narratives.
• The spiritual parallels between motherhood and various spiritual traditions, including acts of selfless service, being present, and releasing the ego.
• The societal isolation of mothers and the need for systemic support.
• The intersection of motherhood as a spiritual path with social justice and the importance of continuous learning and growth.

Resources:

• Bhagavad Gita A New Translation by Stephen Mitchell- The ancient text that mentions Karma Yoga as a path to enlightenment through selfless service.
• Karma Yoga: The Yoga of Action by Swami Vivekananda - A book exploring the concept of Karma Yoga.
• The Conscious Parent: Transforming Ourselves, Empowering Our Children by Dr. Shefali Tsabary - A book discussing conscious parenting and releasing the ego.
• Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn - A classic book on mindfulness and living in the present moment.

A mother’s love is often romanticized and idealized, but really, radical mother love is an opportunity to challenge traditional motherhood norms and dismantle larger systems of oppression. The discussion ranges from expanding the definition of motherhood beyond the normative mother and family to embracing the complexities of maternal ambivalence and the radical nature of mother love in uplifting and supporting all children and families.

Topics: 

• Expanding Motherhood Definitions: Discussion on moving beyond the stereotypical image of a white, middle-class, heterosexual, nuclear family mother.
• Diversity in Motherhood: Examining how race, class, sexuality, and non-traditional family structures like chosen families and non-biological mothers contribute to a richer understanding of motherhood.
• Nuclear Family Critique: Exploring the history and socio-economic influences of the nuclear family model and its impact on societal norms.
• Maternal Ambivalence: Addressing the complex and often contradictory emotions mothers experience in their caregiving roles.
• Radical Mother Love: Discussing how maternal love can be a revolutionary force, with examples from activists who embody this concept.
• Maternal Activism: Linking radical mother love with movements like Moms Demand Action and Free Mom Hugs.
• Challenging Traditional Motherhood Norms: How redefining mother love and motherhood challenges oppressive systems like patriarchy, capitalism, and white supremacy.

Resources:

• O'Reilly, Andrea, and Association for Research on Mothering. Mother Matters: Motherhood As Discourse and Practice : Essays from the Journal of the Association for Research on Mothering. Toronto: Association for Research on Mothering, 2004, 22.  
• Revolutionary Mothering: Love on the Front Line by Alexis Pauline Gumbs, China Martens and Mai'a Williams
• Collins, P.H. (1998). It’s All in the Family: Intersections of Gender, Race, and Nation. Hypatia. Summer Vol. 13, No.3. 62-82.
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Data mentioned in podcast came from the following sources:

• Families in the United States - Statistics & Facts | Statista
• FastStats - Teen Births
• Prevalence of Parents with Disabilities in the United States | The Heller School 
• U.S. Census Bureau Releases CPS Estimates of Same-Sex Households
• Poverty in the United States: 2022

Today we explore boundaries in motherhood: exploring how boundaries help create a sense of personal agency and autonomy, emphasizing their role in empowering women, and finding a balance between individualism and collective well-being. This episode highlights the challenges mothers face in setting boundaries with their children, and offers guidance on setting boundaries as a way to reclaim our time, energy, and purpose.

Topics: 

• Boundaries in motherhood
• Personal agency and autonomy for women
• Balancing individualism and collective well-being
• Challenges of setting boundaries with children
• Feminist perspective on boundaries
• Using values when determining boundaries
• Motherhood as empowerment

Resources:

• Philosophical conceptions of the self: implications for cognitive science

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In the second part of this two-part series, Susie focuses on rewriting birth narratives for peace, strength, and agency. Susie shares her personal journey of healing and empowerment after challenging birthing experiences, emphasizing the societal pressures of the myth of the perfect mother and its impact on maternal well-being. Drawing from Robbie Davis-Floyd's insights, the episode discusses the importance of self-reflection, body practices, and positive affirmations in the healing process. Susie also highlights the significance of support, both in sharing birth stories and engaging in practices that release stored emotions. 

Topics Included: 

• Matrescence journey and its impact on motherhood
• Rewriting birth narratives for healing and empowerment
• Societal pressures and the myth of the perfect mother
• Self-reflection and positive affirmations
• Supportive practices for emotional release
• Embracing the diversity of birth stories and finding validation in unique journeys

Resources:

• Robbie Davis-Floyd, Birth as an American Rite of Passage
• Rob Horowitz & Pam England, Birthing from Within
• Maternal and Newborn Care in the United States - Birth Settings in America - NCBI Bookshelf
• Inclusive and Gender-Neutral Language | National Institutes of Health (NIH)
• Birth Centers are Growing
• The Birth Trauma Association
• Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga
• Postpartum Support International
• International Cesarean Awareness Network
• Black Mamas Matter: Advocacy organization focused on black maternal health, rights, and justice.
• Ancient Song Doula Services : Provides full-spectrum doula services with a focus on communities of color.
• Sister Song: Southern based, national membership organization; our purpose is to build an effective network of individuals and organizations to improve institutional policies and systems that impact the reproductive lives of marginalized communities.
• https://www.nativechildbirth.org/ NICA provides resources, education, and support for Native American families throughout the childbirth journey.
• Reproductive Justice Program - Welcome to NATIVESHOP.ORG :This center focuses on promoting the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being of Native American women, including maternal health.
• Women's Health | Indian Health Service (IHS) The Indian Health Service offers resources specific to women's health, including maternal health, with a focus on culturally competent care.
• Family Equality : Advocacy group supporting LGBTQ+ families.
• PFLAG : Provides support and resources for LGBTQ+ individuals and their families.
• Disabled Parenting Project : A community for disabled parents providing resources, support, and information.
• https://lookingglass.org/ : A nonprofit organization that provides resources for families where a child, parent, or grandparent has a disability.

In part one of this two-part series on matrescence, Susie explores the transformative concept of matrescence. Drawing on insights from Dr. Aurélie Athan and Robbie Davis-Floyd's "Birth as an American Rite of Passage," Susie unpacks the stages of matrescence, comparing it to adolescence and emphasizing the need for empathy and celebration in this unique journey. She draws parallels between the classic elements of a rite of passage and matrescence. She gives globally diverse examples of birthing rituals and sheds light on how hospital births in America have unintentionally adopted rituals that emphasize society’s patriarchal core values.

Topics Included: 

• Matrescence definition and stages
• Matrescence vs. adolescence
• Global birthing rituals
• Hospital births in America
• Rite of passage stages: separation, transition, integration
• Cultural variations in matrescence celebrations
• Rewriting matrescence narratives for healing
• Marginalized identities in matrescence
• Transgender and LGBTQ+ maternal experiences
• Matrescence for Black women
• Matrescence for disabled mothers
• Healing from difficult birth experiences
• Support resources for diverse maternal journeys

Resources:

• Robbie Davis-Floyd, Birth as an American Rite of Passage
• Rob Horowitz & Pam England, Birthing from Within
• Maternal and Newborn Care in the United States - Birth Settings in America - NCBI Bookshelf
• Inclusive and Gender-Neutral Language | National Institutes of Health (NIH)
• Birth Centers are Growing
• The Birth Trauma Association
• Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga
• Postpartum Support International
• International Cesarean Awareness Network
• Black Mamas Matter: Advocacy organization focused on black maternal health, rights, and justice.
• Ancient Song Doula Services : Provides full-spectrum doula services with a focus on communities of color.
• Sister Song: Southern based, national membership organization; our purpose is to build an effective network of individuals and organizations to improve institutional policies and systems that impact the reproductive lives of marginalized communities.
• https://www.nativechildbirth.org/ NICA provides resources, education, and support for Native American families throughout the childbirth journey.
• Reproductive Justice Program - Welcome to NATIVESHOP.ORG :This center focuses on promoting the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being of Native American women, including maternal health.
• Women's Health | Indian Health Service (IHS) The Indian Health Service offers resources specific to women's health, including maternal health, with a focus on culturally competent care.
• Family Equality : Advocacy group supporting LGBTQ+ families.
• PFLAG : Provides support and resources for LGBTQ+ individuals and their families.
• Disabled Parenting Project : A community for disabled parents providing resources, support, and information.
• https://lookingglass.org/ : A nonprofit organization that provides resources for families where a child, parent, or grandparent has a disability.

Susie discusses the motherline (matrilineal ancestry) and the importance of women’s stories. Navigating through historical struggles, ancient goddess cultures, and societal shifts, Susie invites listeners to reclaim the stories of women that have been obscured, stolen, or silenced.    Join the journey of exploration and empowerment as we reimagine narratives and contribute to a paradigm shift in the broader motherhood revolution. 

Topics: 

• Historical Struggles of Women's Voices
• Impact of Narratives like the Story of Eve
• Ancient Goddess Cultures: Catalhoyuk and Marija Gimbutas
• Transition from Matrilineal to Patrilineal Societies
• 3 Steps for Reclaiming Personal the Motherline
  • Step 1: Reflect on your own narrative
  • Step 2: Motherline Meditation: A Tool for Intuitive Connection
  • Step 3: Telling Our Own Stories as a Revolutionary Act
• Contribution to the Broader Motherhood Revolution

Resources:

• Cassandra Speaks: When Women are the Storytellers, the Human Story Changes by Elizabeth Lesser
• Caliban and the Witch by Silvia Federici
• When the Drummers were Women by Layne Redmond
• Of Woman Born by Adrienne Rich
• Archeologist suggests much of Paleolithic cave art was done by women
• Historical Sites: Catalhoyuk - Archaeological Evidence of Goddess Worship
• Scholar: Marija Gimbutas - Pioneer in Archaeomythology
• Is this helping me become the good ancestor I want to become?

This episode is an interview Susie did with Mexie from Total Liberation in the spring of 2023. Susie & Mexie discuss how capitalism, patriarchy, and white supremacy shape the institution of motherhood and harm people who take on the work of mothering. We end with discussing what a motherhood revolution could look like and how it would dovetail with a broader societal revolution.

Sources and Links

• Total Liberation Podcast: https://totalliberationpodcast.com/
• Mexie on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Mexie
• Positive Leftist News: https://www.youtube.com/c/PLN_mex
• Silvia Federici, Caliban and the Witch: https://www.akpress.org/calibanandthewitch.html
• Kimberly Sears Allers, The Big Let Down: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250026965/thebigletdown
• Resmaa Menakem, My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the mending of Our Bodies and Hearts: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/34146782
• D. Memee Lavell-Harvard and Kim Anderson, Mother of the Nations: Indigenous Mothering as Global Resistance, Reclaiming and Recovering: https://demeterpress.org/books/mothers-of-the-nations-indigenous-mothering-as-global-resistance-reclaiming-and-recovery/
• Alexis Pauline Gumbs, China Martens, and Mai’a Williams (editors), Revolutionary Mothering: Love on the Front Lines: https://www.pmpress.org/index.php?l=product_detail&p=746
• Layla F. Saad, Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and Become a Good Ancestor: http://laylafsaad.com/meandwhitesupremacy
• Ibram X. Kendi, How to Raise an Antiracist: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/671925/how-to-raise-an-antiracist-by-ibram-x-kendi/
• Dorothy Roberts, Killing the Black Body: Race, Reproduction, and the Meaning of Liberty: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/155575/killing-the-black-body-by-dorothy-roberts/

In this episode of Rebel Mothers, we explored Riane Eisler's paradigm-shifting concepts of dominator and partnership societies, applying them to the context of our own families. Eisler's model, rooted in historical evidence and cultural practices, offers a spectrum approach to understanding societal structures. Focusing on family and childhood relations within the dominator and partnership systems, we discussed actionable steps to nurture a partnership family, emphasizing democratic decision-making and equal partnerships. Eisler's work goes beyond critique, providing a blueprint for transformative change, with broader societal implications—shaping empathetic citizens, addressing racism, and preparing children for the demands of the 21st-century economy. The episode concludes with the recognition that implementing partnership values in our families contributes to creating a compassionate and egalitarian society, with ripple effects extending far beyond our homes.

Topics Included:

- Dominator and partnership societies

- Historical precedent and societies

- Eisler's four cornerstones for societal shift

- Dominator and partnership families

- Hierarchies of domination vs. hierarchies of actualization

- Actions for nurturing a partnership family

- Resources for implementing partnership principles

- Impact of partnership families on the world

Resources Mentioned:’

• Caring and Connected Parenting Guide
• The Center for Partnership Systems
• 8 C's of Partnership Families
• Adrienne Rich, Of Woman Born: Motherhood as Institution and Experience
• Riane Eisler, Real Wealth of Nations