Black. Single. Mother.

Real Life Tales of Longing and Belonging

De: Jamilah Lemieux

Narrado por: Jamilah Lemieux, Joniece Abbott-Pratt, L Morgan Lee, Robin Miles, Cat Peoples, AhDream Smith

A personal meditation on, examination of, and tribute to Black single motherhood, unapologetically told through poignant essays and candid interviews by a celebrated cultural critic

“Jamilah Lemieux is one of the most important feminist writers of the twenty-first century.”—Brittney Cooper

With her signature candid, humorous, and sometimes biting takes, Jamilah Lemieux suffers no fools while also courageously revealing the scars of her own parenting journey and search for self-acceptance in a world that hates “baby mamas.” With a particular verve and relatability—honed in her many years among Black Twitter’s most prominent voices—Lemieux centers the complex reality of Black single motherhood: uncertainty and fierceness alike.

Black. Single. Mother. combines riveting personal essays, infused with whip-smart cultural and historical analysis, with twenty-one intimate first-person testimonies from a spectrum of Black single mothers. A long-overdue offering in celebration of the American matriarch most often maligned, Black. Single. Mother. sets out to inspire a new cultural and community dialogue about this powerful figure as one profoundly deserving of love, support, and respect.

*Includes a downloadable PDF of the Reading List from the book

Not What I expected

This book may be empowering to some but it was a roll coaster of emotions for me. I appreciate everyone that shared their stories and experiences of being a Black single mother.

I didn’t relate to much of the book, in that I have never felt ashamed for being a Black single mother. What this book did do for me was help me to better appreciate my village. It also made me appreciate conversations with my grandmothers about raising kids and giving your best, whether or not the children’s father did or not.

I’m grateful for the transparency of the women in this book and grateful that many of my elders supported me in becoming pregnant at 19 without being married to my kids’ father. I was able to make a sound decision and options were laid out for me. My partner was also supportive and super helpful during my pregnancy. I often tell people that he was the best person for me to have kids with because of how he cared for me. He was excited to be a dad, while I struggle with the idea of being able to care for another human.

Part III had the most relatable stories about how to navigate motherhood and the relationship with the father after breaking up.

I appreciate Jamila’s for putting this project together and allowing these women a space to share.

Worth the wait

Been following since the blog. Incredibly touched by the journey and lessons shared in this book. The author owned her full story. All of it, the messy and difficult. She isnt caught up on the past and clear about areas of growth in the present. The vulnerable way she shares her dichotomy is exceptionally humanizing. Further, the personal narrative is brilliantly balanced by poignant research, she continues to educate us, as the modern feminist influencer she is and has always been. The vignettes are poetic and a lovely touch. I couldn’t be prouder of this book if I’d written it myself. I feel as satiated as I did when Durand won the Grammy and MBJ the Oscar! Excellent, excellent book!