Happy Mother’s Day to All!
There is no one size fits all when it comes to the definition of motherhood.
Yet, each year on Mother’s Day — one of the biggest commercial holidays in the United States — many cards and other merchandise sold are often lacking in diversity or don’t reflect the makeup of the country.
In an effort to change that, Forward Together, a national multiracial organization that works with community leaders for social change, started “Mamas Day“. The annual event, now in its sixth year highlights women who are often overlooked in the mainstream celebration of Mother’s Day.
Our goal with “Mamas Day” has always been to highlight mothers who are invisible in popular representations of motherhood, so we focus on lifting up single moms, queer families, incarcerated parents and immigrant mamas,” said Forward Together’s Policy Director, Kalpana Krishnamurthy in a statement about this year’s celebration.
As a part of its Strong Families initiative, Forward Together is working with 28 partner organizations, including Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI), to send 15,000 cards created by artists of color to these women in an effort to show them that they are loved and appreciated.
Several of the cards illustrate moms of all races and ages teaching and nurturing their children. Others don’t feature people at all, but rather images that represent growth, love and strength.
All provide space for the sender to include a personalized message. Some cards will be sent as online e-greetings, while others will be hand delivered to women across the country over the Mother’s Day weekend.
KJ